


After the Devil

by xSeeingStarsx



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Daredevil (TV), Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Genre: Brother part of Web Warriors, F/M, No Smut, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Reader, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-12 03:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5651605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSeeingStarsx/pseuds/xSeeingStarsx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After you and your teenage brother are attacked you find yourself asking yourself a lot of questions. How did your attackers know you were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? What was so important about the files you stole from a bank? And how does a man in a black mask fit into all of this?</p>
<p>This is a mess of cannons that include Daredevil, The Ultimate Spider Man, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dancing with the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is really just for me. I started it as a way to get myself writing on a consistent basis and to work on becoming a better writer. If you can get any enjoyment from it then I’m really happy!!
> 
> I plan on updating on a weekly basis. The first draft of the story is all written out, I’m just editing it and then posting them.
> 
> Please leave feedback and let me know if there are any errors!

Ten, they had sent ten guys. The group of bulky men in dark clothing had forced you and your teenage brother into the damp New York ally. They hadn’t told you their intent, but you could guess. The flash drive you were sure they wanted sat in the pocket of your jeans. You fingered it, feeling the warm plastic in your hand. On it contained files from the bank you were working at as a computer security consultant. Files that were the proof you needed to prove the bank had been embezzling money from its customers. 

Cool metal met your other hand as you were backed into the chain-link fence that split the ally. It protested to you moving any father with a metallic jangle. Your brother Jamie stood beside you. The serious set of his mouth and eyes looked mismatched with his freckled cheeks and curly dark hair.

"Just give us the files and no one has to get hurt.” One of the men threatened. You recognized him from the bank. His lean body was more intimidating to you than the others. There was a difference between big and scary and being trained. This man was the latter. You could tell in the way he carried himself and the steel in his voice. The promise of safety didn’t mean anything either. It never did in these kinds of situations. No matter what you did they planned on leaving the two of you dead in the ally.

You looked at them with a smirk on your lips and defiance in your eyes, “We could say the same thing.” Some of the men leered, others all out laughed, and you intimidated none of them. You could understand why. A young woman and her teenage brother didn't seem threatening. Maybe if the two of you had your S.H.I.E.L.D uniforms on you would get more respect. 

After you discovered Jamie had some type of special ability you reached out to a hacker that was working with S.H.I.E.L.D. That was about three years ago. Almost two years ago Phil Coulson recommended that Jamie go to New York City to train with a group of powered kids. You followed, your role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent taking the back burner. Even though raising Jamie had become the center of your life you still found yourself getting in trouble now and then. 

"Ready for this Jamie?" you whispered as you readied yourself for a fight. Jamie let out an amused huff, also adjusting his stance and raising his fists. It was time to see if those years of S.H.I.E.L.D. training were worth anything.

The men came at you in waves. A tactical error on their part. If they had just come at you all at once they would have over powered you and that would be the end of that. Instead one man came at you, and another came at Jamie. Your training kicked in as you dodged at lashed out at your attacker. You kicked at him and he spun away, stepping to the side and delivering a blow to your back. You stumbled forward, but blocked his next assault. It was only a few seconds when your brother shouted "One!" His shout was accompanied by the thump of a man falling to the ground. You were busy with a guy who actually knew what he was doing, matching you punch for punch. 

"You think you could call for some back up?" You ask Jamie as he knocked another assailant to the ground. Though you were fairly certain the two of you could handle this yourself, some help from the kids on Jamie’s team would have been helpful.

"I didn't bring my coms." he quickly replied ducking under a pipe that had been swung at his head. Your gaze quickly flashed to Jamie’s wrist. The watch-like communicator that usually sat there was missing.

"What?" you asked, your voice filled with anger. You finally kicked the man you were sparring with to the ground.

"If I had known that 'going to the movies' was a euphemism for 'going halfway across town and breaking into my old job to steal information' I would have come a bit more prepared." he snapped, punching a man in the face, knocking another grunt down. "And," he added, "That’s three guys down. I'm winning." 

"They're going easy on you.” You huffed, two men now coming at you, “plus you have an advantage." 

It was hard for you to watch Jamie fight since you were occupied with your own thugs, but you knew that he was using his ability to block his attacker’s blows. That was Jamie’s power, a blue light that could shield him from any physical attack. Small bursts of blue light came between Jamie and his attackers' punches. The light blocked his opponent's hits, opening them up for another attack. Jamie took it, punching the man in the gut making him double over, only for Jamie to deliver a kick to the face. "That's four."

You also knock another of the goons out, watching as the four remaining attackers eyed the two of you carefully. Your breath came out in heavy gasps and your fists were still clenched. Jamie also looked tired, but his gaze was still alert as it darted around his surroundings. 

The fighting began once again. The men came at you with renewed vigor. You weren't sure if these men were better fighters, or you were just slipping up as you felt the sting of a blade grazing your side. In a flash one of the men grabbed your arm, and delivered a strike with his forearm to your elbow. Your scream ripped through the night air, followed by Jamie shouting your name. The pain of your broken joint sent you to the ground, your limp arm still in the man's grasp. With all the motivation and strength you had left you struggled in his grip until you felt cool metal pressed against your head. The sound of fighting stopped as you saw two men had also subdued Jamie. He was thrashing in their grip, desperately trying to get to you. 

"It's okay Jamie." you said, surprisingly calm, trying to work out a plan through the pain. You wracked your mind in desperation, trying to find a solution where the two of you got out of this alive.

"Where are the files?” the man hissed into your ear, pressing the barrel of the gun harder to your head. You didn’t have to look up to know that it was the professional you recognized from the bank.

"You think I have all the files on me now?" You mocked, "I have already sent most of the files I stole to at least three major news organizations. This was just supposed to be the icing on the cake. The files are gone, your boss exposed." This was a lie. All the files you had sat in the flash drive in your pocket. Nor did you plan on giving them to any news organizations. Your plan was to hack into the bank’s website and publish the files there, but you would have to get out of here alive first.

The man that held you opened his mouth to say something as a shadow came up from behind him. He grunted and loosened his grip, his body crumpling to the ground. Jamie used this distraction, lashing out at his subduers with his legs. You let out a whimper as your arm fell back to your side and tucked it close to your body. The men that held Jamie lied on the ground and the last goon turned and ran. A wooden baton shot from the darkness behind you and struck him hard in the back, causing him to crash to the ground. 

Jamie ran to you, putting his arm on your shoulder and helping you up. You both turned at the sound of footsteps. A black clad man with a mask over his eyes came out of the shadows. Jamie tensed next to you, ready to fight. 

"Let me look at that arm." his voice was gruff as he walked closer to you. Jamie went to step forward but you pushed him back. 

"You hit that guy with the gun. And the baton, that was you too." you stated, looking him over with curiosity. He didn't say anything, just gingerly held your wrist and examined your arm.

"It's broken," you explained, "He fractured my elbow." he nodded and turned his attention to your opposite side. Before you could protest he lifted your shirt a fraction to get a better look at the knife wound on your side. 

"It's not more than a scrape, you'll be fine,” he observed and let go of your shirt.

"Who are you?" Jamie asked. The man didn't answer.

"Who are you?" he echoed Jamie, "What were they after?"

You shifted, not comfortable in telling this man about your business "I appreciate the help, but we need to go." You answered, walking past him and Jamie following behind. 

The man's arm shot out, grabbing your good arm by the wrist in a vice like grip. "What do you plan on doing with those files?" he hissed, "Sell them? You might be just as guilty as those thugs." 

You struggled to release your arm, but to no avail. “I’m (y/n) (y/l/n), a programmer who specializes in computer security. I was working at this bank here in Hell's Kitchen. While I was working I started finding some suspicious files that proved the bank was scamming people. That's what I took. I'm going to expose the fraud by hacking the bank's site and publishing the information. That is, as soon as you let me go."

The man seemed to be taking in your story, still holding your arm. His grip loosened and you yanked back your hand and began to walk away again. He turned to you, as if watching you go, "Make sure to get that arm checked out."

You gave him a wave with your good arm, and then draped it over your brother's shoulders. "Let's go home,” you said with a sigh walking away.


	2. Modern Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you recuperate from the previous night's activities you make some startling discoveries about the men who attack you and the mysterious man in the mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I had initially planned on updating every week, I realized that I have responsibilities and probably will update every two weeks (or as often as I can). Thank you for the kudos on the last chapter and love getting feedback!

You winced as the doctor jarred your arm as he wrapped it in the plexieglass casting substance. The hospital smelt sterile, and the harsh smell of bleach stung your nose. The doctor seemed nice enough, but he seemed young and inexperienced as he fumbled around the room.

“Oh, don't be a bitch about it." Tony Stark said with a smirk. You sent him a glare, almost regretting that you had asked him for a ride to the hospital. Almost, and then you remembered how unappealing a subway ride with a broken arm would have been. The jarring stop-and-go of the car and the people who would knock into you accidently would have been uncomfortable at the least. You decided that you were thankful enough not to retort, but annoyed enough to continue glaring.

Tony decided that your silence was an excuse to keep going, "Also, I still expect you to come to work today." Tony Stark; billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and also your boss. You met Tony through a mutual friend, one of the powered kids known as Spider Man. You had fixed a glitch in the Iron Spider suit that he had given Spider Man, and your talent with computers impressed Tony. That had been more than a year ago and ever since you have worked side by side with Mister Stark on some of his pet projects. After getting to know him you saw past Tony’s narcissism and ego and found someone incredibly passionate and loyal. He had become a good friend and a mentor. The two of you were like siblings.

It was almost 2:00 in the morning when you had called Stark from the neighborhood in Hell's Kitchen. He had been kind enough to drop of Jamie off at your apartment in Queens and take you to the ER to get your arm looked at. Several hours later you sat exhausted with your arm casted and in a sling. Tony called dibs on signing it.

He put a comforting arm around you as the two of you walked out of the ER. "I was just kidding about you coming to work, I'm not sure how much help you'll be on those pain meds," he said, nodding at the prescription bottle in your hand. You smiled weakly, to tired to do much else.

Tony drove you home, his flashy sports car looking out of place in the modest Queens neighborhood. "Thanks Stark." You mumble getting out of the car.

"Hey! Let me walk you up." He said, getting out of his car and running to your side, "I know when to be chivalrous sometimes." He walked with you up to your apartment, complaining about the lack of valet parking for his car and the horrible security the building had. The two of you finally came up to your apartment on the 9th floor.

You looked up at Tony and smiled tiredly, "Thank you Tony."

“No problem (y/n). Let me know if there is anything more I can do to help.” He said sincerely.

You put your key into the lock and walked into the door, "Goodnight." you said as you shut and locked the door behind you. You heard him chuckle and walk away from the door. You threw your keys and phone onto the bar and didn't even change when you slipped into your bed.

____________________

 You woke up achy, sore, and immediately aware of how uncomfortable you were still in your jeans and bra. A groan erupted from your lips as you rolled over to check your clock. The red numbers that stared at you from the nightstand read 11:43. Next to the clock sat a glass of water, your pain meds, and a note. You reached for the slip of paper, recognizing your brother's neat handwriting.

_Had to train today. There's breakfast in the fridge. Don't forget to take your pain pills. I'll see you later._

_-James_

A lazy smile was on your face as you appreciated your brother's thoughtfulness. You sat up in bed and took your pill and then made your way across the hall and to the shower. You felt awkward as you stuck your casted arm out of the shower curtain and used one hand to wash your face, hair, and body. As the sweat and grime from the previous night washed away you also felt the stress and tension also dissipate. Though you weren't sure if that was from the hot shower or the drugs.

After you had dried off and changed into comfortable sweats and a tank you went into your small kitchen and grabbed whatever your brother had made for breakfast. It turned out to be fruit, yogurt, and granola.

Armed with your breakfast you shlumped into the large couch that took up most of your living room. You liked your apartment. It was nice with two bedrooms, a small bathroom and kitchen. You also had a decent sized living room, which was more often than not packed with teenagers. You were the "cool mom" whose house was always open to Jamie's friends. Most of those friends just so happen to be other powered kids.

As you stared at the window you heard your phone go off. "Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist" you heard Tony's recorded voice say, his ringtone on your phone. You rolled your eyes and got up to answer the phone. "What's up Stark?" you asked, putting the phone on speaker and returning to your seat on the couch.

"Turn on the news. There's something you might want to see," he instructed. You obliged, turning on your TV. It was already on the Daily Bugle's news channel. "Do you see the big story?" he asked. It took you a moment to realize what the headline was, _Questions Asked After Bank Scam Exposed_. You smirked. The night before you had given Tony the flash drive with all the information that you had stolen. You knew that you were in no shape to hack the bank's web site to post the documents and had asked Tony to do it for you.

"You did good, thanks Stark. What about the other thing I asked you about? The dude in the mask?"

"Yeah, about that. (y/n), I would be careful if I were you. A bunch of news articles pegged him responsible for several explosions in Hell’s Kitchen last week and the death and injury of several police officers. They call him ‘The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.’ He looks like bad news.” Came his concerned reply. You frowned. The man had probably saved you and Jamie’s life and now Tony was telling you that he was responsible for all those deaths in Hell’s Kitchen. Something about it didn’t sit right with you. It wouldn’t be the first time the media was wrong about masked men.

Tony continued talking, "Anyway, when are you coming in? I have this fantastic idea for a project . . . " You stopped listening to Tony as J. Jonah Jameson came on the screen with a breaking news report about that "no good" Spider Man and his friends.

"I'll talk to you later." You said, interrupting Tony and hanging up your phone. Your eyes were fixed on the TV as you watched the masked heroes fight a group of villains called the Frightful Four. You knew these kids well.

There was Spider Man, also known as Peter Parker, with his spider-like abilities and passion for bad puns.

Nova, or Sam Alexander. A cool kid from space who was always at odds with Spidey.

White Tiger was the only girl of the group. Her name was Ava Ayala and always worked hard.

The zen one with the fortune cookie quotes was Iron Fist, or Danny Rand.

Power Man, or Luke Cage, had impenetrable skin.

Lastly there was Rook, who could produce blue barriers and block any physical attack. To you he was Jamie and his peers called him James.

You sounded like some kind of avid sports fan as you cheered at the TV and cringed when they weren't doing well. This was your regular practice. Whenever they were on the news you always watched them, praying that they would all make it out okay. Like always they did. You let out a sigh of relief when the villains were apprehended and the group scattered, returning to whatever training Fury had them doing.

____________________ 

Later that night you found your home full of teenagers. Jamie and company came that evening with pizza and soda pop and ready to take a much-needed break. Every stitch of furniture you owned had someone sitting on it. You just felt right. Everyone was comfortable and happy. Laughter filled the air as someone cracked a joke and you smiled contently. This was your family, not matter how unconventional it was.

"How did you become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent again?" Luke asked, looking at you expectantly.

You waved the question away, "You don't want to hear about that again. I swear I've told you guys three times already." They all protested and you relented, "Ok, ok fine." The room got quiet as you started to speak:

"So after our parents died James and I were just drifting. It wasn't soon after when James' gift started to manifest. It was sporadic and not very controlled, you all know how that's like. And I FREAKED out. I had no clue what to do. I remembered hearing about a hacker who started working with S.H.I.E.L.D. I was familiar with her work and felt like I could trust her to help us out.

"Sooo . . . I may have hacked S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system to get in touch with her. We agreed to meet at this little cafe in Chicago. So James and I show up at the cafe and we meet Skye, Coulson, and uh . . . Agent Ward. We're all having this great conversation about getting us some help and then this third party comes in. I think that we have been double crossed by S.H.I.E.L.D. They think these people are with us, and it turns into a big mess. Coulson and I wined up barricaded behind a table together. While bullets are flying all around us, we were arguing about who double-crossed who. Skye, at this point, isn't very trained and almost gets herself killed. James steps out and blocks her from the oncoming bullet with his power. About this time Coulson and I realize that neither of us had anything to do with the unwelcome guests. And that's how we ended up with S.H.I.E.L.D."

There was a loud groan that rippled through the room, "But how did you get out of the cafe?" Peter complained.

"Yeah, and tell us more about Agent May!" Ava added.

"Come on guys," you complained, "It's getting late, and I'm tired.”

“Well, at least tell us how you broke your arm," Sam tried to reason, “James won't tell us anything about what happened to the two of you last night.”

You sigh, sounding as exhausted as you felt, "James, you tell it, I'm going to take a break." You get up and open the large window in your living room to sit out on the fire escape. As James told the story you pictured the events in your mind. Something about that night didn't seem right. Why did they send ten men to confront a hacker? Even with her brother ten men seemed like overkill. Some were even professionally trained. Your eyes shot open with sudden realization. Your body seemed abuzz with the energy that comes from an epiphany. You were right, it was overkill to send ten men after a young hacker and her teenage brother. But they weren't after (y/n) the hacker and James the sophomore in high school, they were prepared for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Now there was a new question that made it's way to the forefront of your mind; how did they know you were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and how did the Devil of Hell's Kitchen fit in this?


	3. Deals with the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After realizing that the people who hired the men to come after you knew you were a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, you head to Hell's Kitchen in search of information and find trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, I actually updated in less than a week! Once again, thank you for the kudos and encouraging comments! I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always feel free to leave feedback.

One thought stayed with you throughout the night. It kept you awake even though you were exhausted and was your focus the next morning. The men from the bank knew that you and Jamie were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. You remembered one of your attackers. He had often been to the bank that you had worked at. After a little digging you find a name, Karl Lehrer, and a picture.

You spent most of the day walking around Hell's Kitchen trying to track him down. "Please," you would beg, looking as innocent as possible as you presented his picture at places he was known to lurk at, "He's my cousin, I'm just trying to make sure he stays out of trouble." No one bought it, or if they did they kept a tight lip.

It was dark by the time you decided to call it quits. As you walked back to the subway station you felt a hand shoot out from the dark of an ally. It grabbed your good arm and yanked you into the darkness. You were roughly shoved to the brick wall and felt a metal barrel on your head.  _Second time this week,_  you thought grumbly.

"Why are looking for Lehrer?" said the gruff voice. The man had an ugly blue hood on and a dark goatee. You put on an innocent and terrified air, "P-please, I'm just trying to find my cousin. I heard he was in some kind of trouble and I want to help."

"Lehrer ain't got no cousin." He said, pushing the barrel harder to your head, "We were sent to take you out, now I guess I get to finish the job"

Now you realized that he was one of the men from the other night. There was no need for you to pretend anymore and your frightened persona disappeared. You stood a little straighter, looked a little bolder. "Who hired you?" You said with your voice filled with anger. He didn’t say anything, just looked smug. He acted like he already won

You swung your good arm around the man's arm that had the gun. Simultaneously you stepped forward and slammed your casted forearm into the man's head as hard as you could. Hot pain shot up your broken arm, but the gunmen released the grip of his pistol. You kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to the ground, his arm still securely under yours. As he fell you kneed him in the face and let go of his arm. You grabbed the gun off of the ground and pointed it at the man, who was examining his bleeding face with a free hand.

"Who hired you? Why did you come after us?" You said firmly, pointing the gun at the man's chest.

"I don't know lady." he said stubbornly.

"I'm going to ask you again, if you don't answer right, I'm going to shoot your kneecap. Then I'm going to ask you again. If you don't answer right I'll shoot your other. I'll keep alternating shooting and asking until you don't have any joints left. By which you would probably bleed to death. Do I make myself clear?"

He didn't say anything.

"Who hired you?" You asked again.

"I don't know." you cocked the gun and took aim.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! The bank did, we were hired by the bank." He recoiled back, his hands open and his eye pleading.

Your stern gaze and trained aim didn’t relent, "Why? Why did they send so many people after us?"

"We got some tip, that you were some type of government agent, that we would have to be careful around you."

Your mind reeled with the implications. Someone who knew you were a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had told the company who you were. There were few people who knew who you worked for. Most of them wouldn’t have betrayed you like this. “Who tipped you off?”

“I-I don’t know,” He stammered out.

You shot at his feet, the bullet hitting the concrete just in front of him. He jumped back at the sound and the flying debris of rock. “I’m telling you the truth! I don’t know, but Lehrer does. You can find him at this bar on 10th and 47th. Thursday nights from 9 to 11. He’ll be there, I swear!”

"He better. Get out of here and if I ever see your face again you're going to wish you bled out here." You sounded savage as you spat the words at him. He crawled up to his feet and scrambled out of the ally. With him gone you let yourself relax. You sighed and leaned back on the wall, letting you arm with the gun hang at your side.

"That was well done." Said a low voice from the darkness of the ally. Your arm snapped up, aiming the pistol in the direction the voice came from. The man in the black mask came out of the shadows, his hands up.

"You can put that down, I'm not going to hurt you." He’s voice sounded reassuring and sincere. Your resolve wavered but then strengthened again after remembering what Tony had told you. You promised to be careful, and not to let your guard down. The gun remained trained on the man’s chest.

"Says the man who is accused of bombing half of Hell's Kitchen and killing a police officer." You spat.

"Well, for one I didn't do those things, and two I saved you life just a couple days ago."

"You don't know that, we would have been fine. You were late anyway"

"I doubt that, since I was 'late' because there were three other guys waiting as back up that I took care of."

You imagined that night again: You with your broken arm and a gun to your head and Jamie restrained by two men. That night there was another man there standing by, but what would have happened if there were an additional three? "Shit . . ." you said, realizing how that fight would have ended of those other three had shown up. You lowered the gun and he lowered his arms to his side.

"Why are you here (y/n)?" he asked, taking a step closer. You grip on the gun tightened, ready to shoot if necessary, but you didn’t bring it up to aim it.

You were surprised that he remembered your name. "I'm here trying to figure out why thirteen guys were sent after a hacker and her kid brother. Why are you here?"

"I'm trying to figure out how a hacker and her kid brother sent ten guys twice their size to the hospital." Did he sound . . . impressed?

Whatever the tone was, you waved it off, "Technically only eight. You got the other two. And apparently another three."

"Are you going to that bar on Thursday?" he said, changing the subject.

"Yeah."

"You'll need help." There it was again, that soft sincere tone. He sounded as if he was genuinely worried about you and you couldn’t understand why. No matter how sincere he was this was your family and your business.

You were growing tired of this conversation and tired of this man getting in your way. "No I won't," You said with finality.

The man didn’t take the hint, "How are you going to get information out of a guy with one hand. Are you going to get your brother to help you?"

"I'll manage. I managed well enough tonight. Jamie’s got enough to worry about."

"Like being a teenager with superpowers?" You tried to read his face. You wanted to see his intentions for you and your brother. Why would he bring that up? What was he going to do? His face didn’t reveal any of these answers.

"You saw that?" You asked, the words coming out slowly and carefully 

"Yeah."

You were quiet for a long moment. Not sure what to say. It turns out you didn't have to say anything. "I'm not going to tell anyone. I want to help,” he told you, taking another careful step in your direction.

The anger bubbled up in your stomach with each kind word and careful step. You didn’t want his help. He was foreign to you, an anomaly that you couldn’t predict. You worried that this masked vigilante was going to throw your seminormal life into chaos. You worried that he was going to ruin the good thing that you had. "Why? Why are you so interested in my life and my problems?" Your calculated and careful tone did not reveal the tumult of feelings that tied a knot in your gut.

"Because I think you are trying to do the same thing I am. Stop the people who are running this city into the ground."

You shook your head, "You're wrong. I'm just looking after me and mine."

"They why did you expose the bank fraud?” He asked. You could feel his gaze on you even though his eyes were covered. You were silent a moment, mulling over his words and his intentions. They all seemed to be sincere. Maybe having some backup would help, and then after this was done you would never have to see him again.

"Fine, meet me at the bar at 10:30. We'll grab him when he leaves."

"All right then (y/n)." he said, and then turned to leave.

"Wait,” you shouted after him, “What should I call you?"

He turned back to face you, "Hum?"

"You know my name, what should I call you? I doubt you like the nickname the papers gave you 'the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.'"

"Call me whatever you want." And with that he turned and left.


	4. Side Jobs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a new job in Hell's Kitchen and meet up with the Man in the Black Mask to get information from Karl Lehrer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! Back with chapter number four. Brought to you by by homework procrastination and motivating comments. Seriously though, thank you so much for the kudos and comments. They really encourage me to keep on going with this. As always I live for feedback and feel free to point out mistakes or make suggestions. I was going to save it and post it later but accidently clicked 'post without preview" so you get it super early. Yay?

You spent the next couple days recuperating. Tony called you often, checking up on you and complaining about your lack of help with his projects. "Stark, I told you. I'll be back next week. I have a doctor's appointment Monday and then I'll see you in a week on Tuesday." you tried to explain. You heard a whine on the other side of the line. Your cell phone vibrated in you hand and you looked to see that you had another incoming call. "Sorry, I have another call coming in. I'll talk to you later." Tony tried to keep talking, but you hung up on him and answered the unknown caller.

"Hello this is (Y/N)." you say into the phone.

"Hello, I'm Matthew Murdock. I heard you do network security consultations," said the man on the other side of the phone.

You scrambled for a pen and some paper, "Yes, Mr. Murdock, I do!"

"I have a law office in Hell's Kitchen and I was wondering if you could give it a look over." As you two spoke your excitement built as you wrote down his information and told him your prices. You loved doing side programing jobs. Though the last one at the bank had turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

"Also, I should mention that I have a broken arm. I can still do the work but it will take me a little longer." He said that would be fine and you made an appointment for the next day.

__________

The next day and after an hour long commute you found yourself in front of what you thought to be the law offices of Nelson and Murdock. The only indication you were at the right place was a handwritten paper sign taped to the door. You knocked on the door and then opened it to peek inside. "Hello?" you asked, looking around the room.

A blonde woman got up from behind the desk. "Can I help you?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah, Mr. Murdock called and asked me to do a quote for computer security." As you spoke two men came out of an office. One was a stout man with shaggy blond hair. His partner had dark well kept hair and light stubble on his face. It struck you how handsome, and oddly familiar, he was. His of dark glasses and white cane were clues to his blindness.

"You must be Miss (Y/L/N)." Said the dark haired man, holding his hand out in your general direction for a shake, "I'm Matt Murdock."

You took his hand and shook it with a friendly grin, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Murdock." Now that he was closer you wracked your brain for a time that you had seen him before. “I’m sorry Mr. Murdock, have we met before?”

"Please, just Matt. I don’t think so, but I’m terrible with faces.” Matt said, with a playful grin on his face. The man next to him chuckled. Matt gestured to him, “This is my partner Foggy Nelson, and this is Karen Page, our . . . secretary? Assistant? What is your title Karen?" he asked, giving her a quizzical look.

She just shrugged, “I thought coming up with titles was your guys’ job  _boss_.”

“Hum . . .” Foggy tapped his chin in a comedic gesture of thinking, “This is quite the conundrum. I’ll have to sleep on it to try and find a solution.”

You smiled and shook both Page and Nelson’s hands, "It's nice to meet you."

Matt smiled, and his whole face shined. You especially liked how his eye and nose crinkled when he smiled wide. You instinctively wanted to smile back, and then quickly squashed anything you were trying to feel. This was just a job. Just a way to make a little extra money.

“Well (y/n). I’ll leave you to your work.” He said and gave you a kind wave as he navigated his way back to his office.

“Karen will show you the ropes.” Foggy added, and also went to his own office.

You turned to Karen, waiting for her instruction. "We only have the one laptop right now." Karen said, leading you to her desk.

The laptop sat closed on the desk, you opened it up and let Karen enter the password. Typing with one hand was considerably harder than you had thought it would be. You had to hunt and peck around the keyboard as you looked at their current security measures,. It was pretty close to nothing.

After working a while, Murdock came out off his office and found his way to the small alcove that housed the coffee maker. "Do you want some coffee?" He asked pouring his expertly.

You looked up from your work, a mess of windows and coding on the screen, "Uh, yeah. Thanks." He poured you a cup and walked over to you, barely using his cane. "You seem to know the layout pretty well," you noticed as he handed you the cup. You took it gratefully and had a drink.

"Yeah, I've spent quite a bit of time in this office. How is it going?"

"Ehhhh," you started looking back at the mess on the screen, "It could be better. Someone with rudimentary hacking skills could have access to all this confidential case information."

Matt sighed; sounding disappointed "Not good then."

"Very not good." You stated seriously.

The two of you talked for a while about what you would do to make it more secure, the cost, and the time you would need to finish the job. You genuinely enjoyed the conversation and found Matt to be friendly. "My availability can be a bit sporadic." You explain, "I take care of my brother and I also have a part time job with a very annoying and demanding boss." Matt promised that would be fine. The terms were agreed too and the contract was drawn up.

You looked down at your watch and swore. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Sporadic schedule? Matt asked.

You smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I have parent teacher conferences to go to." Foggy had just entered the room and looked at you stunned, "You have a kid?"

"Oh god no! I have custody of my 15 year old brother." You explained and Foggy breathed a sigh of relief.

You pull out your phone and check your calendar app to check your schedule, "Hum, tomorrow is Friday, so I can come back sometime before 3?”

Matt nodded, "That should work fine." You smile and shake everyone's hands once again as you head out for the long ride home.

__________

“(y/n)? Where are you going?” Jamie asked, watching you grab a duffle bag from your room and heading for the door. You turned to look at him and his questioning eyes met yours.

“I’m just going out for a while. I’ll be back later tonight.” You gave him the best reassuring smile you could muster. Jamie had enough to worry about and you refused to add to it.

It didn’t work and Jamie scowled. “We just got home and you’re leaving. You did this a few days ago too. What’s going on?”

You sighed, “It’s nothing James. I’ll be back soon.”

“But (y/n)—” he whined. You quickly cut him off; snapping in a definitive tone that made sure he knew the conversation was over, “Jamie. Drop it. I’ll see you later tonight.” With that you opened the door and walked out.

The long subway ride back to Hell’s Kitchen gave you plenty of time to replay the conversation you had with Jamie in you head. Guilt wracked your brain and made you gut flop. You hated talking to Jamie like that. It was something that you almost never did, but you couldn’t sit down and explain to him that you were going after the guys from the ally. You knew he would want to help, and that was more of a risk that you were willing to put him through.

You were relived when the subway car finally came to a stop. You ducked into a bathroom and changed into black gear. Once you were finished you stashed your duffle bag above one of the ceiling tiles and disappeared into the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

It wasn’t hard to find the bar the man from the other night mentioned. It was a dirty place filled with equally nasty people. You stood in the ally behind the building with a clear view of the back door and waited for the masked man to arrive.

You didn’t have to wait long. You saw him jump from the roof, using the fire escapes that clung to the building to control his fall. He landed with more grace than should be allowed. “(y/n)” he said, acknowledging you with a nod.

“Will.” You said, also giving him a nod.

He looked at you enquiringly, “Will?”

You shrugged, “It’s the first name I could think of. It was that or M.B.M. you know, like the  _Man_ in the  _Black Mask._ ” You couldn’t see his eyes, but you could almost  _feel_  him rolling them at you. “So any grand ideas on how to get Lehrer?”

“Lehrer’s not here.” He said calmly.

Your stomach sank. If Lehrer had found out that someone was after him he might have skipped town. From what you could tell he was the only link to the person that outed you. If he was gone then that was the end of your little investigation. “What do you mean he’s not here?” you hissed.

“I mean Lehrer and I had a conversation, and by the end of it he agreed he would leave town.”

Anger bubbled up inside of you and spilled into your words, “You had a ‘conversation’ with Lehrer? A ‘conversation’?! This is my family’s safety we’re talking about and now I don’t even have the name of the guy who caused all this.”

“Calm down. I got the name. Does ‘Grant Ward’ mean anything to you?”

The hot anger that was inside of you was doused by ice. Your breathing was erratic and standing became an impossible task. You leaned against the brick and slid to the ground, your hands tugging anxiously at your hair. Grant Ward. Your last memories of him weren’t pleasant. You saw Jamie on the ground, beaten and bloody, reaching towards Ward with pleading in his eyes and shouting his name. You remembered watching this from the window of a locked office door. No matter how much you screamed, kicked, and ran at the door, it refused to budge and you were unable to reach your brother. The sound of gunshots was all around you as S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra agents went head to head.

You pushed the memory away and forced yourself to take long deep breaths. The masked man held out a hand to help you up. “I’m fine,” you shakily said as you ignored the hand pushed yourself off the ground to come to a stand.

The man unsuccessfully tried to mask the worry etched into his face, “Who’s Grant Ward?”

You laughed humorlessly “Not a very good man.” So Ward was the one who had outed you. You wonder if he had come to the bank and noticed you were there. He must of told them who you were and that you would find out about the embezzling. But if Ward was working with the bank, did that mean the bank had connections with Hydra? The implications and questions swirled in your mind. You had to look at those files again.

“So what now?” the man asked.

“Now I find Grant Ward.”


	5. Open and Shut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You decide to take a closer look at the files you stole from the bank and find out that you really enjoy being at Nelson and Murdock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry this took so long. I feel like this chapter could be better, but I'm not sure what to do to it. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks for the comments and kudos!
> 
> Also, a note on the time this all takes place, this story occurs at the beginning of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 3 and during Daredevil season 1, so that's that

You silently watched the yellow bus drive away with Jamie in it from the window of your apartment. The two of you hadn’t really talked since the fight you had last night. Jamie had waited up for you. When you walked in the door he sat in the living room working on homework. Anxiety had tied itself in a tight knot in your stomach. Everything in your life was going so disastrously wrong that you couldn’t even fake being ok. Jamie had opened his mouth to say something but took one look at your sullen face and closed it again as you stalked to your room.

You had thrown your bedroom window open, desperate for the cool night’s air to help clear your head, and collapsed onto your bed. Only one though raced through your head, Grant Ward. He had been your friend and your mentor. He had been like an older brother to Jamie. You had loved him like family. It had been two years since you saw him. That was the day he revealed that he was a Hydra agent and betrayed his team. Every once and a while you received news from Coulson or someone else on the team about run ins they’ve had with him.

Last night you held your phone in your hand, your finger hovering over the call button. Though whom you were going to call you were unsure. Phil should know that Ward is in town. S.H.I.E.L.D. could help bring him down. You knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. was short staffed since the Terrigen leak and the disappearance, you refused to call it death, of Jemma Simmons. No, you decided that you wouldn’t call Phil Coulson.

You could call Tony. Even if you didn’t tell him about Ward the conversation would serve as a good distraction. God knows he loves to talk, and you did feel like you had been a neglectful friend. But if you called him he would know something was wrong. You weren’t the kind of person just to call.

Even now you had your phone in your hand as you moved away from the window and fell into your couch. You contemplated calling Tony or Phil again, and again thought better of it. Instead you set your phone on the glass coffee table and traded it for your laptop. The huge “Stark Industries” logo stared at you from it’s top. It had been a Christmas present from Tony, the first gift he gave you after you started working for him and the two of you have updated it since then.

You quickly pulled up the files from the bank. Financial statements and incriminating emails stared back at you from the glowing screen. Somehow Ward, and by extension Hydra, was connected to the bank. You sifted through the different documents looking for any information that tied the two parties.

It wasn’t Hydra agents that had come after you and Jamie, but men hired by the bank. Hydra must not have thought that the stolen files were that important, but it didn’t mean that they hadn’t overlooked data that linked Hydra to the bank in the files. You wondered if Hydra as an organization knew that you, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, was working at the bank or if only Ward had that bit of information and decided to share with the bank. After a couple hours of searching you decided to call it quits and headed to the subway towards Hell’s Kitchen.

 __________

You reached the door to Nelson and Murdock and as you went for the doorknob the door opened. Foggy stood in the doorway and you could see Karen and Matt in the background. "Hey (y/n)!" he said with a smile.

"Hey guys, what's up?" you asked, realizing they were all headed out of the office.

"We're just headed to lunch," he explained "do you want to come?"

You shrugged, "Sure."

You followed them out of the building and down the sidewalk, Foggy and Karen leading the way. "Is it alright if I hold on to you?" Matt seemed timid, and you felt your face grow pink as you took his arm.

You spent most of the time watching Foggy and Karen. Foggy said something and Karen laughed, playfully bumping into him.

You breathed out a laugh. "What do you find so amusing?" Matt asked you.

You watched a second longer while Foggy draped an arm casually over Karen’s shoulder. "Are Nelson and Page a thing?"

"Like a couple? Not that I know of." Came his reply.

You smirked, "They should be. They're cute."

He had a curious look on his face as he directed his attention to you. "Nelson? Page? Why do you call everyone by their last names?"

You shrugged, and then realized he couldn't see your shrug. "I just always have. . ." you answered.

Matt wasn't letting it go, "There's more to it than that."

"Yeah, there is." you were silent for a moment. It really wasn't such a big deal, but you felt a little embarrassed explaining yourself, and a little more than exposed. "I only like using first names with people I'm close to."  _It lets me keep my distance from people and establish firm boundaries,_  you though to yourself.

Matt seemed to find this answer acceptable, "That makes sense. Would you rather me call you by your last name?"

"No, no," You say quickly, not even being able to imagine him calling him by your last name, "you can call me whatever you want."

"All right then (y/n)." he said with a definitive nod. You were smiling. You were smiling without even realizing it. Foggy did though as he looked back at you to make sure you two were still following. He glanced between you and Matt and gave you a knowing wink. You scowled at him as your face grew hot. He just laughed and lead Karen into a small restaurant. You followed them with Matt on your arm.

The restaurant was nice. You were glad that the restaurant was quiet and mostly empty. The four of you was lead to a corner booth towards the back. You appreciated being in a spot where you could see the exits and had your back against the wall. You sat between Karen and Matt as the waitress handed out the menus. The conversation at the table was light and friendly. Foggy and Matt regaled you and Karen with stories about the shenanigans they got into during college.

"What about you?" Foggy asked.

"Me?" you asked, "There's nothing interesting about me."

“Well, where did you go to school?” He asked, using the sing-song voice you use when asking obviously basic questions.

“I graduated from CalTec about four years ago.”

“Four years ago? You don’t look that old.” Karen said.

You shrugged, “I graduated early from high school.”

"Ok, why are you raising your brother?" The question seemed innocent and Foggy's curiosity sincere. Even if he didn't realize it what he was asking was incredibly personal. Not many people knew your whole story. Jamie, of course, did. He lived it with you. There also were a handful of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel who knew, Agent Coulson and Director Fury, but even the information in your S.H.I.E.L.D. files had been heavily edited. Hacked into and changed by you of course.

"Foggy!" Karen and Matt both snapped at him. You sat quietly, staring at your menu.

"What I . . ." He started. You could see the gears working in his head and the realization dawn on him. "Oh! Oh (y/n) I'm sorry, that's probably something you don't want to talk about."

You shrugged, and gave them the short version, "Our parents were murdered right after I graduated from college and I've been taking care of James ever since."

"That is so awful." Karen said, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"It's alright. Hard at first but we're doing great now." for once you felt like you weren't lying. Even though you worried about Jamie and his superhero extracurriculars the two of you were happy. Jamie was doing well in school and played on the soccer team. You both had friends and people you loved, and it was fantastic. Then you remembered the tiff you and Jamie had gotten into last night and Ward and your face fell.

You looked back down at your menu to find Matt's hand on yours. You followed it up to his face, which had an absent smile. Your heart started beating faster and your breath a little more erratic. Matt seemed to come to himself again and removed his hand. "Um, Foggy, can you read me the menu?"

Foggy obliged and the table conversation stopped as you all figured out what you wanted to eat.

After the waitress came and too your order the table conversation returned. "You know what I just realized (y/n)?" Foggy asked with a playful smirk,

"What did you just realize Nelson?" you asked turning to him.

"I haven't had the privilege of signing your cast yet."

"Do you have a pen?"

"I do!" Karen rummaged through her purse and handed Foggy a sharpie.

You took off your sling and awkwardly extended your casted arm across Karen and within Foggy's reach. He inspected the cast, looking at who already had signed it. After seeing some names he didn't recognize: Peter Parker, Ava Ayala, and a few others, one name did catch his eye. "Tony Stark? Like the Tony Stark? He signed your cast?" Foggy said surprised.

"Wait, what?" you said faking surprise, sitting up to get a better look at the cast. There it was, Tony Stark's signature, larger than life written with a bright red sharpie. "That must be one of James' friends messing around," You lie, not quite sure why you didn't want them to know that you knew Tony. It was probably another way to close yourself off. "I've never met the guy."

Foggy shrugged and signed your cast.

"I want to sign it!" Karen said, taking her sharpie from Foggy in one hand and your casted arm the hung in front of her face with the other. You laughed, "any other takers?"

"I'll sign it." came Matt's soft voice next to you. You took the sharpie from Karen and sat it on the table. You twisted your body around so your arm was in Matt's reach.

"Here, give me your hand and I'll show you an empty spot." He nodded and gave you his hand. You took his fingers and brushed them across the cast, "Right here would be a good spot." You rest his fingers on the cast and grab the marker and then help him grip it.

"You know, I think this is the first time I've ever done this," he said, taking the marker and carefully signing his name in the designated spot.

"You're doing pretty good." There it was again, the unconscious smile that graced your face as you watched Matt's. His nose scrunched in concentration as he wrote on the uneven surface of the cast. You thought it was cute. You thought  _he_  was cute, even though you didn't want to admit it.

As soon as he was done you surveyed the new additions to your cast. “Foggy Nelson” in sharp messy handwriting, “Karen Page” in neat loopy cursive, and “Matt Murdock” in careful, almost hesitant, print. You put your arm back in its sling and listened as Foggy regaled the table with tales of their last case and your food came to the table.

Your lunch conversation was nice once you were no longer the focus of it. After lunch the four of you walked back to the office. The walk was much like the trip to the restaurant, Foggy and Karen giggling in front of you while Matt awkwardly hung on your arm. Sitting at the office computer couldn't come quick enough and you finally felt in your element once your hand hit the keys. After working for a bit you heard a swear coming from the direction of the copier.

You looked up from your work to see Karen jabbing at the button, her frustration apparent.

"Everything ok?" you ask

"Yes." she jabbed another button, nothing happened. She sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat, "No."

You got out of the chair and walked over. "I bought this office equipment a few weeks ago and none of it seems to work." She explained.

"Mind if I take a look?" You asked

Karen stepped back and gestured at the machine, "Knock yourself out."

After some fiddling you found out that the power cord just had a loose connection. It was fairly easy to jerry-rig it with some pliers and electrical tape. "You probably should get a new cord, but this will work until you do." You explained.

"You carry pliers in you bag?" Foggy asked.

"I carry everything in my bag. If there is any electronic emergency I am prepared! There's more to me than a pretty face."

"I'll say." Matt's mumble was barely audible. You told yourself that you misheard, but hid your blushing face from Foggy and Karen anyway.


	6. Josie's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's better than a drunken night out with friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the time my chapter notes are filled with apologies for being late and how long it took me to write the chapter. This is no different.
> 
> I actually rewrote this whole chapter because I changed what I initially planed. Also, it's about three times longer than most of my chapters, so that's good right?
> 
> Without further ado, here is chapter 6. Thank you for all the love and feel free to leave comments and feedback. Thanks!

The next day you found yourself in Hell’s Kitchen again with lunch for the Nelson and Murdock crew, claiming that you were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by. You all sat at the large table in the cramped conference room eating takeout Indian food. You chomped down on a steamed dumpling, absentmindedly looking at Matt. Was looking for clues and excuse to visit the law firm, or was visiting the law firm an excuse to look for clues? You couldn’t decide and settled on ignoring the topic entirely.

Once again a flash drive weighed down your pocket. You hoped that you didn’t get beat up in an ally for it this time. Maybe Ward and clues to his purpose could be found in the bank’s security footage stored on it. Ward was never far from your mind. It seemed to bounce from Ward, to Jamie, to Murdock and co., then back to Ward. Everything seemed so distracting and you worried that your work suffered from it.

The next week was blissfully uneventful, at least in the espionage department. Fixing the fax machine at Nelson and Murdock on Sunday, a doctor’s appointment on Monday and working at Stark Tower occupied the start of your week. And after all Tony’s bitching he didn’t even see you when you came to work. Instead he just left you a note with a list of things he wanted you to do. The rest of the week you spent in and out of Hell’s Kitchen finding any excuse to spend time at Nelson and Murdock.

It was dark by the time you packed up your things Friday night and went to leave the office. Matt stopped you by calling out your name from the doorway of his office. You turned, your hand still on the doorknob, and looked at him with curiosity.

“Foggy, Karen, and I are just about to go out and grab some drinks, do you want to come?” he asked, his voice having a hint of uncertainty.

You chewed the inside of your lip in thought. Usually you would arrange in advance for Jamie to stay at Peter’s house when you were going to be out late or overnight. Peter’s aunt May was always willing to have him over but you didn’t feel confortable asking her last minuet. Then you remembered that Jamie was not only 15 but also had super powers. He was more than capable of taking care of himself for one night.

You hand dropped from the doorknob and you turned to face Matt, “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

Matt let out a relived sigh and ran a hand through his neat hair. Was he nervous about asking you to go with them? You brushed off the thought as Foggy and Karen entered the room.

“So are we all going?” Foggy asked excitedly.

“Yeah,” you said with a nod, “Just let me text my brother.” You pulled out your phone and sent a quick text to Jamie letting him know you were out with friends in Hell’s Kitchen and that you would be home late.

“Josie’s” was kind of a dive. You were assaulted with the smell of cheap booze and even cheaper cigarettes as soon as you opened the door. Even if the bar itself was a little rough the atmosphere was nice and you loved watching Josie interact with the guys. She set a bottle down in front of the four of you and Foggy reached over the bar and grabbed four shot glasses and lead you all to a booth.

“Thanks Josie!” Foggy said with a smile, “Just put it on my tab.”

“You don’t have a tab.” Josie reminded him with a gruff voice.

Karen followed Foggy into the booth, leaving Matt to sit with you. Foggy set down the glasses and then filled them up with the amber liquid.

“Bottoms up!” Foggy grabbed his drink with gusto and downed it.

You took the small glass into your hand and sloshed the drink around. It had been a while since you had a drink. Alcohol was never kept at your apartment. There were way to many teenagers going in and out of your place and you weren’t always there to supervise them. You remembered what it was like to be 15 and curious about what mom and dad kept in the liquor cabinet and decided to remove that temptation. Anyway, if those kids got into alcohol on your watch Fury would kill you.

You shrugged and followed suit, raising the glass to your lips and emptying it. The alcohol burned as it ran down your throat. “Ugg,” You say cringing, “God, that’s awful.”  Josie shot you a dirty look while the other three laughed.

“You get used to it.” Karen said with a smile, reaching for the bottle and pouring herself another shot and then sliding it over to you. You took the bottle and refilled your glass.

The sound of glass hitting the table followed Foggy’s second drink. “You know what I just realized,” he said, pointing a finger at you, “You and your brother are like, ten years apart. How the hell does that happen?”

You shook your head and lifted your glass up, “I’m going to need more alcohol in my system before I talk about myself.” With that statement you took the drink and gulped it down. The liquid still burned, but you kept yourself from cringing.

“Mom had me when she was a sophomore in college about a year after she and my dad were married.” You explained, “Everyone said that she had ruined her life, threw away any chance of becoming a researcher. That’s what my parents did, they were scientists.” You laughed, “We were so poor. Both my parents were going through college and working and trying to raise me. They always wanted more kids, and tried, but mom just couldn’t get pregnant and fertility doctors were so expensive. And then bam, after dad gets his PhD and hired on to this research company mom get’s pregnant again and I get a baby brother at ten years old.”

You leaned back into the booth and poured another drink. “Your mom must have been pretty amazing to raise you and Jamie like she did.” Matt said, staring at the drink he was nursing.

You took a sip of your own, “Yeah she was. Both my parents were pretty amazing. Super amazing. Amazingly amazing!” You giggled and the movement made your drink slosh. You decided to set it down before you made a mess.

“You know what?” Foggy boomed, throwing an arm around Karen, “Look at us Matt. We have a secretary, and an IT guy—”

“Gal” you interrupted, “I’m an TI, no, an IT, computer gal.”

“Gal,” Foggy amended, “and a working fax machine! We’ve made it to the big leagues buddy. We’re like, real lawyers now.”

Matt chuckled, “The best damn avocados you’ve ever seen.”

“Exactly! The best God damn avocados.” Foggy dissolved into a fit of giggles and leaned into Karen, “I love you guys so much.” 

Karen nuzzled into Foggy’s chest and put a hand on his knee, “I love you too Foggy.”

“A toast,” Matt started, raising his half finished glass into the air, “To Nelson and Murdock, and the best office staff in town.”

“Be prepared, I’m gonna clink the shit out of all your glasses.” Foggy added also bringing his glass up.

You and Karen added your glasses to the mix. A chaos of tapping glass and spilt drinks followed as everyone tried to make sure they had touched each other’s glass. You all downed the last of your drinks. The bottle sat in front of Foggy and you reached and grab it. Empty. You frowned and tried to set it back down and dropped it on the table. Matt reached across you and set the bottle upright. “I think that’s enough for us tonight.” He said laughing, “It’s pretty late.”

You fumbled for your phone and tried to read the time on it. It read 2:38, but that couldn’t be right. You tried again and the time remained the same. The four of you struggled out of the booth and walked out of the bar. Foggy and Karen were still all over each other and Foggy turned to walk Karen home.

“I’ll call you a taxi.” Matt offered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

“No. Nononono. I’ll take the subway. I have a pass.” You slur, taking a definitive step in the wrong direction.

Matt sighed behind you, “That’s the wrong way.”

You make an about face, spinning on the ball of your foot, and march in the opposite direction. Matt followed behind you. You could hear the cane tapping on the sidewalk, matching your pace. “Are you following me Mr. Murdock?” You ask, spinning around to face him. You failed, miserably, as you lost your footing and fell on the ground.

“Yes, because you obviously can’t be trusted to get home on your own.” Matt said, reaching down to help you up. You grabbed his hand and he pulled you up. As you stood you stumbled into him. His arms reached around you to steady your swaying body. You put your hand on his chest to try to get you balance. You were closer to him than you had ever been, and you used this opportunity to study his face in more detail. 

A light growth of stubble shaded his jaw and chin. His tinted sunglasses obscured his eyes. You reached up and plucked them from his face, staring into his eyes. They were hazel. A crown of gold encircled his irises and burst into flecks of greens and browns. They were beautiful, but something seemed to be missing. They stared sightlessly at you, the life behind them gone. Your glance glazed over a bruise across his cheek and onto his lips. One was busted, from a fall according to Matt. They both looked a little dry. Not the most kissable lips you had ever seen, but that didn’t stop you from trying.  You put your good arm around Matt’s neck and stood on your toes to reach his face. As your lips gently and clumsily brushed his you could taste the coppery blood and the alcohol he had drank. You felt him take in a breath of surprise, satisfied that it was your air he was breathing.

He moved you a fraction closer, his lips now synchronizing with your. Their movement was light and graceful. Then he stopped. You stopped too and looked up to see Matt’s brows knit in confusion.

“What are we doing?” he sighed. His voice seemed to be a mix of exasperation and uncertainty.

“Well, we were kissing,” You started to explain, “and then I was hoping to go back to your apartment and we could take each other’s cloths off.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not going to happen.” He spoke to you softly. His hands moved from your back to your elbows, creating more distance between the two of you. Panic strangled your heart. Here it was, the death of a friendship. All because of one stupid drunken sentence. The one normal thing in your life was just about to be shattered.

“Shit.” You took a step back and turned your embarrassed face from him, “I’m sorry Matt, I really fucked everything up.”

“No, don’t feel bad” he said, putting a hand our to grasp your shoulder, “for one, you’re drunk. You don’t have to be a lawyer to know that’s rape.”

You turned to argue but he interrupted you, “And two, I’m very Catholic. (y/n) I like you a lot and I want to be around you more. Let’s just sleep this off and see where we stand in the morning. O.K?”

“I’m sorry Matt.” You whispered.

He sighed, “Come on, let’s get you home, Jamie’s waiting for you.”

For once Matt was guiding you. He latched onto your arm as you watched the cane dance in front of you. It weaved from side to side, trying to find obsiticals on the path.

“Soooo, you’re gonna walk me to the subway?” you asked, glancing up at Matt.

“No, I’m going to get you back to Queen’s.” Matt said, looking determined.

“Like, ride the subway and everything? That will take forever! It’s so late!” you exclaimed loudly.

Matt flinched at the volume of you voice, but continued to guide you in the direction of the subway station. “I don’t trust these streets for you to make it home on your own. Since you are so adamant about taking the subway, I’m going with you.”

As if to prove his point a catcall whistled from across the street. A handful of rough looking men stood watching the two of you, all drinking and smoking on the corner.

“Ayy, why don’t you hang out with us tonight hun, we can appreciate that sexy body of yours more that he can.” One of them called. The three of them started across the street.

“We don’t want any trouble. I’m just trying to get her home.” Matt’s voice got real low. Though he was making no threat, his voice somehow sounded dangerous. You didn’t feel like he had ever talked that way around you, but something in his voice tickled your memory.

“We can take her from here.” Another man said, the group reaching the two of you.

“Yeah,” another snickered, “We’ll take reeeaaal good care of her.”

Matt’s shadow fell over you as he stepped between you and the other men. One of his was protectively thrown behind him, blocking you from them.

“Matt, I can take care of these thugs.” You hissed in his ear, a lot louder than the whisper you were trying for.

The men laughed, “Hear that Matt,” one of the men said to Matthew, “She _wants_ to take care of us.”

“Maybe any other day you could,” Matt whispered to you, “But you’re not exactly on your ‘A’ game.”

“Really, what do you expect to do? Hit us with your stick?” with that the man lunged for Matt’s cane, but it wasn’t there. In a flash Matt had moved it. With a whistle it glided through the air and landed a hard blow across the man’s cheek.

Almost at once the three men converged on Matt. Matt was a mass of flailing limbs, which were moving much to fast for your inebriated mind to follow. One of the men broke away from the fray and came at you. Panicked, you looked around for something to defend yourself with. You spotted Matt’s cane and grabbed it, hugging it close to your body as the man steadily came closer to you.

“What are _you_ going to do with that?” he mocked and stepped close to you. With all the force of your good arm you jabbed at the man, the point of the cane ramming into his adam’s apple. A choking noise came from him as he stepped back. You took a step towards him and kicked him, hard, in the groin. He sank to the ground like concrete. The revelry of your victory was cut short as Matt grabbed your arm and practically dragged you from the scene.

“Matt,” you whined, “Slow down.”

“I’m get you out of here right now.” He huffed. His face was hard set as he marched you down the sidewalk. The knuckled of his fist at his side were white. It occurred to you that you had never seen him looking so angry. It also occurred to you that he wasn’t using his cane.

After you walked about two blocks Matt’s pace slowed. Matt’s cane supported you as you leaned on it for a moment while trying to catch your breath. As he gently took it from you his jacked shifted a fraction, revealing a blossom of red on his white shirt. You’re eyes grew wide as you began to panic.

“Matt!” you screeched, “You’re bleeding!”

“It’s fine, it’s just a scratch.” He said, trying to remedy your worry.

“No!” you insisted, “We have to get you to a hospital right now!”

“Really, (y/n) it’s fine.” He tried again, but no amount of assurance was going to calm you down. He decided to change tactics, “My apartment isn’t too far away. We can go there and take a better look at it. If it is bad, then we’ll go to the hospital. Does that sound good?”

You thought for a moment and then nodded. “I nodded,” you added remembering that he couldn’t see you, “So, yeah.”

He nodded and held out his arm for you again. You took it and let him once again lead you down the street. Eventually you arrived to an apartment building. After a ride in the shaky elevator Matt lead you to a door down the hall.

“Here we are.” He said, unlocking the door and opening it wide.

“Why isss your shit all broken?” you asked, surveying the living room and finding busted furniture littering its floor. The coffee table sat splintered in half in the usual spot in front of the couch. Near the staircase that leads to the roof was a pile of split floorboards. Other debris that once littered the floor were neatly swept up and protruded from a near by garbage can.

“I fell.” He said, and at the moment it seemed to you a perfectly logical explanation.

An open first aid kit already sat on the couch. It seemed to you a little more heavy duty than your standard kit, but with a guy who fell as often and Matt did he might need it.

“Sit,” you ordered, “I’m going to fix you all up.”

“Are you qualified for that?” Matt teased, but followed your instruction anyway and took a seat on the couch next to the kit.

You kneeled down next to him as he loosed the last few buttons on his shirt and lifted it so you could get a better look. Rubbing alcohol dripped from the over saturated cotton ball as you tried to apply it with clumsy fingers.

“I’m going to try to clean this up. It might sting.” You warned. With eyebrows knit in concentration you focused on your task. Hands that were once shaky seemed to still as you wiped the blood from Matt’s side. He was right, it was just a scratch, but you still felt satisfied to know it was clean and he was taken care of.

“You seem to know how to dress a cut pretty well.” Matt noted as you started to bandage the cut with gauze.

“My friend who taught me was—is, is a lot better at it than I am.” You replied with a voice that lacked more confidence that you hoped for.

“Are you worried about this friend?” Matt asked you. He seemed to be looking into your eyes, staring past your face and into your soul where he found the sadness and worry you kept hidden. You broke eye contact and focused on taping the last of the gauze on.

“She went missing a few months ago. I don’t want to give up hope, but some of our friends decided that it was best to move on. It hurts Matt. Everything hurts. Admitting she’s gone or holding on to her, it all hurts.”

He looked at you with pity? No, it was understanding. He looked at you with understanding and pulled you into an embrace.

“Everything is falling apart.” You cried into his shoulder, the liquor and your emotions making it impossible for you to hold the tears back anymore. “Jemma’s missing, demons from my past are popping up, masked men with questionable motives. I’m tired of being scared all the time. I just want to feel safe.”

Matt held you tighter and stroked your hair and back. Tears wetted his white shirt as you clutched on to it. “You,” you whimpered, “You make me feel safe Matt. I don’t know why, but you always do.”

“I’m not going anywhere (y/n)” He promised.

You wiped your eyes and broke the embrace. “I-I need to get home.” You said, abruptly standing and reaching for your bag. Matt grabbed your hand, his touch still soothing and gentle. You looked to find his eyes fixed on you.

“Stay.” he whispered, “It’s late. Just take the bed for tonight and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

That’s how you wound up in Matthew Murdock’s bed with only one of his long shirts and your underwear on. You could see Matt on the couch from the open bedroom door. The distance felt strange to you, especially compared to how close you had been earlier that night.

“Matt, Mattie, Matthew.” You drunkenly called out. You saw him stir on the couch. “Will you come here?”

Matt picked himself up off the couch. His face was etched in worry, “Is everything ok?”

“Will you,” you started hesitantly, “will you stay here with me? Just until I fall asleep.” His face was hard to read, but he obediently laid on top of the blankets beside you. Just his presence was enough to set your mind at ease. You closed your eyes and started to drift asleep.

Matt laid on his back beside you, listening to your steady heartbeat and slowing breathing. He waited until your breath was slow and even and your body relaxed and asleep to turn on his side to face you. “Don’t worry about the masked man’s motives. They’re the same as mine; to keep you safe.” 


	7. Stark Contrast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you struggle with your feelings, Tony calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter for you all! thank you so much for the comments and kudos, you're lovely.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. As always please feel free to leave feedback!!

You woke up in a bed and a room that was foreign to you. Kidnapped! Your brain screamed to you. With a bolt you stat up, only to regret it as your head swam and forced you to lie back down. You tried to remember what had happened the night before only to recall vague memories of going out with Murdock and co. Were you drugged? Maybe your pounding head was a side effect.

 

You sank down into the bed’s soft and warm blankets. You also noted that you weren’t bound by any restraints. Whomever your captor was had gone through pains to make sure you were comfortable.

 

After a moment of mental preparation you decided to try to sit up again. This time you inched out of the covers, your eyes firmly shut. When you had finally sat all the way up you peeked open your eyes. An obscenely bright light was streaming through the open door. What kind of kidnapper left the door to your—you surveyed the space around you—bedroom open? You could hear movement outside off the room, but the light was too bright to make much of anything out. And what was that great smell?

 

You kidnapping hypothesis was quickly becoming less and less likely. You thought back again to the night before. You were at Josie’s getting a few drinks. You did get pretty drunk, maybe Karen let you stay at her place? It certainly explain your pounding head and how ridiculously bright everything was.

 

The last time you were this hung over it was after binge watching Doctor Who with FitzSimmons. The three of you decided to turn it into a drinking game to keep Skye—Daisy— and Ward engaged. It turned out to be a pretty embarrassing affair for everyone, which included photographic evidence of you kissing Jemma.

 

You stumbled out of bed and let out a moan. “(y/n)? Are you up?” came a voice from the room the door lead to. You panicked, scrambling for anything to wear other than just you underwear and the Columbia University shirt you were positive he loaned to you. The voice didn’t belong to Karen, it was Matt’s.

 

“Yeah, just give me a sec!” you replied back, finally locating your dirty jeans. You ripped them from their spot neatly folded on the nightstand and hastily tugged them on. This proved to be a difficult task since your head was still pounding and you hadn’t quite gotten your balance back. You stumbled out of the room as you zipped up your pants.

 

“Shit, it’s bright.” You complained, blinking against the harsh light streaming from the large windows in Matt’s living room. Matt stood across the room in the kitchen, a frying pan in hand and the sizzling sound of bacon greeting you. You slowly made your way over to the bar that separated the living area from the kitchen and sank onto one of the stools.

 

Matt looked up, a smirk on his face, “good morning.” Matt’s ever—present glasses were missing from his face and it made him look boyish and the smirk made him look mischievous.

 

You located his glasses on the bar, and dropped them on your face. The dark shades helped block out the glaring brightness but the red tint made everything look a little strange. “What do you think?” you asked Matt, looking for his opinion on you stealing his glasses.

 

“About what.”

 

“Me. My face. I mean, my face with your glasses in it.” You laughed as you stumbled over your words, only for your head to hurt more.

 

“Hideous, the whole of it.” He joked while placing a plate of bacon and eggs in front of you. He supplied you with a fork, a glass of water, and a bottle of painkillers. Something about him seemed different. Something was more awake, or more alive. You decided you liked it.

 

You gratefully took the meds and water and slowly started on your breakfast. Matt sat next to you with his own plate. “So,” he began, taking a lazy bite of bacon, “What do you remember from last night?”

 

You wracked your memory in search of previous night’s events. All you seemed to find was hazy recollection of Matt walking you down the street, only to be stopped by some men of ill intent. “Did you beat up a while gaggle of thugs? Or was that just a dream?” you asked, pointing your fork at him.

 

He laughed, “Me? The blind guy?”

 

“Yeah,” you replied, chuckling at the absurdity of it all, “so a dream then.” Your laughter drifted off as another hazy though drifted into your mind. I hope I dreamed about that kiss, and the immediate rejection thereafter.

 

The silence was broken by the sound of your phone ringing. You stumbled out of your seat and started to search for it.

 

Matt called out your name, but you ignored him, trying to discern the direction the ringing was coming from.

 

Matt said your name again, this time more sternly. “What?” you asked, whipping around to face him. In his hand was the buzzing piece of metal and glass. You reached out and grabbed it only for it to stop ringing. You looked down at the illuminated screen. The missed call was from Jamie, as well as several others and a whole slew of texts.

 

Jamie’s voice came over the speaker as you held the phone to your ear and listened to the most recent message. You knew it was bad when he started the message out by using your full name, “I swear, if you don’t call me in the next five minuets I’m going to call Director Fury, and Director Coulson to get every single S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent looking for you, and all the other alphabet agencies. Plus Tony who will surly rope the rest of the Avengers to help out AND Spidey and the crew. Hell, I might even call the Marines! Call me back RIGHT NOW.”

 

You wanted to rub your temples, but sadly your only good arm was currently holding your phone. “James?” Matt asked, though his smirk told you he already knew. “Yeah, he’s about to call the Marines and a number of agencies that have anagrams for names if I don’t call him back. I’ll just step into the other room.”

 

You stepped into the bedroom and placed your call. The tone rang for approximately half a second when Jamie answered it with, “WHAT THE HELL (y/n)!”

 

You cringed, and held the phone away from your face, his voice making your ears ring and your head hammer. “Shhh, not so loud Jamie,” you complained.

 

“Seven, you texted me at seven saying you were going out with friends.” He hollered from the other side of the phone. You were sure he was about to give you a lecture that would have made your mother proud. “Do you have any idea what time it is now?”

 

“No,” you admitted.

 

“Almost eleven o’clock. Sixteen hours! I though you were dead. Killed in the street by some mugger, or worse!”

 

You had to roll your eyes, “You and I know that it would take more than a mugger to take me out.”

 

“OR WORSE!” he repeated, “Where are you anyway?”

 

You looked to the closed bedroom door in the direction of Matt. You couldn’t tell Jamie that you had stayed over at a guy’s house. He would probably give you some watered down version of “the talk.” It was best to be as vague as possible. “I got a little carried away and decided to stay over at a friend’s place. I’m there right now.”

 

“When are you coming home?” Jamie demanded.

 

“Later tonight. I’m going to work at Nelson and Murdock a bit and then I’ll be home.” This was only a half-truth. After analyzing some of the security frottage from the bank you had acquired you decided you needed more data from the bank. It was time for another stealthy hack to get more video to scour for evidence of Ward or HYDRA.

 

You could hear Jamie huff on the other side of the line, “What mother,” you teased, “are you going to ground me?”

 

Jamie made his voice more high pitch in a bad attempt at sounding like a woman, “I should young lady, you almost gave your poor mother a heart attack.” The two of you dissolved into a fit of giggles. Once the laughter subsided Jamie’s sincere voice came over the phone, “I love you sis, be safe.”

 

You smiled to yourself, “You too. I’ll see you tonight. Love you.” And with that you hung up the phone.

 

“How did it go?” Matt asked as you exited the bedroom.

 

“ It could have been worse I guess,” You shrugged, “James tried to ground me.”

 

“Does that happen often?” Matt asked with a smile.

 

“More often that you would think.” You replied. You adjusted your bag over your shoulder and shifted nervously, “Well I’m going to head over to the office for a bit and then I’m going to head home.”

 

Matt nodded, “Foggy and I made an executive decision not to come in today, but you’re more than welcome to go over.”

 

“All right, I’ll see you later.”

 

“Yeah, you too.”

 

Something heavy seemed to hang in the air as you walked out the door. It was like both of you had something else to say and hadn’t said it. It was probably the most awkward interaction you had had with Matt since you had met him. It left you to question, what happened last night?

 ___________

You sat in a booth in a small café about a block away from the bank you were once employed at. Your computer sat in front of you and a steaming coffee at your side. Your hand glided on the keys and you were finally used to typing with one hand. It was dark outside. The security footage you gathered before proved to be of little use. Ward was a master of his craft. The footage showed varied routes and entrances he used to travel to and from the bank. He never came at the same time either. With this discovery you decided you needed more recent security footage to see if he had been to the bank since you left.

 

“All right Fitz,” you said to yourself, “Let’s see if they have found my Backdoor yet.” You could almost hear Leo Fitz’s Scottish accent as you remembered him explaining the device that he had made for you. _“Once you place this on a computer system it emits a signal that can then be picked up by your computer. Through this signal you can gain access to the attached computer wirelessly with a range of about a kilometer. I call it the ‘Backdoor’ like in all those hacker films.”_ He looked so smug when he presented it to you and you had to admit that it had come in handy.

 

As soon as you gained access to the bank’s security files and downloaded them you were out of the café. The streetlights guided you down the sidewalk as you walked to the subway station. Your gate was fast and you steps long as you impatiently waited for traffic to slow to cross the street. You were ready to go home and analyze the video to get a better understanding of Ward’s actions.

 

You crossed the street and turned down a quiet side street that always seemed to shave time off your trip. The sound of shattering glass was almost deafening as a streetlamp exploded and plunged you into darkness. It was followed by the sound of wood hitting the concrete. You shuffled in the dark waiting for your eyes to adjust and kicked the wooden object. Curiosity got the better of you and drove you to pick up the object. The wood was a long, smooth cylinder, the same type of wooden baton that the masked man had used to stop the fleeing attacker all those nights ago.

 

“Really Will? You can’t find some other way to get a hold of me?” you said with a sigh, “This stalking-in-the-night thing is getting old.”

 

“You’re sticking with ‘Will’?” the gruff voice behind you asked. You turned to see a man-in-the-black-mask shaped shadow, his body silhouetted by the closest streetlight.

 

“I like ‘Will,’ it’s a good name!” you said, wildly waving the baton to emphasize your point. Why you felt the need to defend his nickname escaped you, but you did non-the-less. “Anyway, don’t change the subject. I’m seriously thinking about investing in a car. That would put a damper on these late night meetings.”

 

You didn’t see his smirk, but you heard the amused huff that accompanied it, “Then I would just have to resort to more drastic measures to get your attention.” You imagined what those drastic measures could entail. Would he jump on top of your car as you were driving, or maybe he had super strength and would just stop your car? These thoughts were interrupted by the man speaking again, “You haven’t been around lately.”

 

“Sadly I can’t do much with a broken arm. Information gathering is about all I’m good for these days. I’m trying to piece together what Ward was doing at that bank.” You explained, patting your bag for emphasis.

 

He nodded, “Good, just be careful. If Ward is as good as you say he is we don’t want to be on his radar. You’re right about one thing, we do need a better way to get a hold of each other.” The man reached into his pocket and pulled out an old flip phone and held it out to you, “Put your number on this and make it speed dial number two.”

 

You took the burn phone and flipped it open. There was already one contact in it. No name or contact information, just a number. You assumed this to be speed dial number one. You quickly typed in your phone number and handed it back to him.

 

“Good.” He said and turned to walk away.

 

“Really?” you asked, “That’s it. Now I have to walk home in the dark because you just wanted to check up on me?”

 

“Be careful (y/n) and I’ll be close by.” He said as he walked away. He stopped for a moment, as if just remembering something and looked back at you, "By the way, nice tee shirt." You looked down at Matt's Columbia University shirt and blushed. With a huffed you turned marched to the subway, but the feeling that you were looked after never left you.

 

___________________________

 

That night you laid in bed trying not to think about him. The more you tried not to the more his face found his way into your head. You just enjoyed the company and the atmosphere of the dinky little office. Foggy was always making you laugh and Karen was such a sweet person. Matt was . . . Well Matt was Matt. He had a cool deep exterior with something hot passionate under the surface, and no matter how hard you tried it ignore it, an infectious smile.

 

The pillow fell as you mercilessly punched it and threw it across the room. This was just a consulting job, just like the rest of them. There was no need to get close or attached. That was dangerous for you and them, especially with Grant Ward’s reentry into your life.

 

You tried to convince yourself that you were just being friendly. You tried to tell yourself that it was all an act and that your behavior was all part of the game. You told yourself these things over and over, but you believed them less and less. Foggy was funny. You let yourself believe that. Karen was nice, another truth. Matt was attractive. That was it.

 

But even as you shoved your feelings down you couldn't help thinking about how he says your name, always excited to see you, or happy just to be in your presence. You couldn't help but think of how willing you are to take his hand or arm when he offers it. It was practically habit now, but your heart always raced when you touched him. You have been dragging out the consulting job, finding any excuse to be around him more. "Oh let me help with the fax machine." "What other office equipment do you need help with?" "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd bring lunch."

 

Your phone buzzed. You reached to the bedside table and looked at the screen. Tony was calling you. You looked at the time, 12am. That man had no concept of decent calling hours. You let out a relived sigh, knowing that Tony would have the perfect distraction for you.

 

"Stark" You answered, "please tell me you have a project to work on."

 

______________

 

It was almost 1 a.m. by the time you threw some clothes on and arrived at Stark Tower. Tony was waiting for you when you walked into his shop, already covered in grime.

 

"Hey (y/n)." he said after lifting up his welding visor and waving at you with a gloved hand.

 

"You do know that I don't know anything about welding, right?" you say, looking over the mess of metal he was working on.

 

"This is my project, you go over there." he made a vague wave at the projected screen that hovered above the table. You navigated the system like a pro, your hand danced across the screen and the keyboard projected in front of you.

 

"What exactly am I looking for?"

 

He walked over and pulled up some schematics, "This is what I'm building." He then pulled up a document, "This is what I want it to do." He turned to you wearing a smirk and a bright gleam in his eye, "I want you to write the code for it."

 

You tried not to show your surprise. Tony usually would just have you look over code he, or someone else, had already written. This was the first time he had asked you to write code for one of his little pet projects. "All right,” you said, rubbing your hands together, “one program coming right up."

 

The two of you worked in a confortable silence for a while, AC/DC playing over the shop stereo. Every once and awhile Tony would walk over and check your progress. Though you had hoped that the work would keep you occupied your mind tended to wander to other things. You had miss typed again, and noticed several lines of code were incorrect. You pressed the backspace in frustration and growled.

 

"What's wrong?" Tony asked. He had traded the welding equipment for a wrench. Though what he was doing with it you could only guess. Though you were the electronics queen, mechanics tended to escape you.

 

"It's my damn arm." you shout in aggravation. The table made a muffled metallic noise as you pounded it with your good hand. It was an excuse and Tony could tell.

 

"No it's not. You've been distracted all night.” He said, and then grinned and winked playfully, “I know I can be distracting but you're usually pretty cool.”

 

"Shut it Mr. Stark." you say, tone mocking. There it was again, your habit of using last names and titles to distance yourself.

 

Tony caught on to it, "Mr. Stark? You must be mad at me. Come on (y/n), what's going on."

 

You turned your face away from him, "It's nothing."

 

"What is it? It's James, isn't it? He's going through his problematic teenage years. Or maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. is giving you a hard time?" Tony said, pressing you for information, trying to help.

 

"Drop it Stark."

 

He thought for a moment and then shouted triumphantly, "No! It's a boy! You're having relationship issues!"

 

"I don't want to talk about it Tony!" you scream, grabbing the closest thing to you (a screwdriver) and chucked it at his head. He ducked, narrowly avoiding the careening tool. You were fuming, your fist and teeth clenched.

 

"That could have done some real damage." He noted, looking back at the screwdriver that had knocked into some machinery. It's broken parts clattered to the ground. You tried not to care. You still wanted to be mad. You still wanted your wall up, your defenses intact and you knew that worry would knock them all down.

 

The problem was that you did care. No matter what you told Tony, or yourself, he was your best friend. Your only confidant in your crazy messed up life. Even though he was terrible at giving advice he still was a listening ear to all the problems you wouldn't dare share with Jamie. You cared, and your defenses started to crack. You were tired and your walls started to fall. You were confused and didn't know what to do.

 

You sighed and rubbed your face, "I'm sorry Tony. That was uncalled for."

 

Tony couldn’t remember you ever looking so small. Even though you weren’t physically large in any way your attitude and overwhelming amount of sass made up for it. Now you just seemed so closed in on yourself. He forgot the fallen tool and the broken machinery and wrapped you in a tight hug.

 

He stroked your hair trying to comfort you. He could understand how you felt. Even though he wasn’t sure what the problem was he knew your propensity for internalizing the stresses in your life. "You are allowed to feel things (y/n). If you keep trying to push them away and bottle everything up inside you're going to explode,” he said, knowing that he probably wasn’t the most qualified to give you advice. He knew you needed to hear it anyway.

 

You argue something incoherent into his chest.

 

He sighed and said a little more forcefully, "Really, you're going to give yourself an aneurysm or something."

 

You made a disgruntled huff. He gave you one last tight squeeze and then loosed his grip. His hands were on your shoulders and he held you at arm's length to take a look at you. You looked tired and your head was looking down, your eyes focused on a particularly insignificant part of the concrete floor.

 

"Someone could get hurt," you mumble.

 

Ah, so it was a guy, Tony thought with a smirk. Then his face softened, "Yeah, you can get hurt. They can get hurt. But sometimes it's worth it, and you won't know if you don't try."

 

You mulled his words over in your mind. Maybe it was worth it. Maybe you did have feelings for Matt. Maybe he had feelings for you. Maybe it could turn into more than just feelings. You won't know if you don't try.

 

You look up at Tony and give him a small smile, "Thank Tony."

 

He waved your gratitude away, "It's no problem. Just focus on your work OK?"

 

You nod and the two of you went back to work.

 

The silence and your concentration were shattered when Tony shouted, "What's his name?"

 

"There's no way in hell I'm telling you."

 

There was more silence as you two worked, only for it to be broken by Tony, "You know, (y/n), there's a company party in a couple weeks."

 

"Yeah, I know. What of it?" you asked, wondering what Tony was playing at.

 

"It's formal, and a date's required." He said with a smirk.

 

"No, there is no way I'm bringing anyone with me to one of your parties."

 

"Come on! I have to see if he is worthy of your affection," he said wagging his eyebrows.

 

"No way. Or do I have to throw a screwdriver at your head to get my point across." You threatened.


	8. You Won’t Know If You Don’t Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's little pep talk left you even more confused about what you want you relationship with Matt to be. Instead of making a decision you avoid the subject all together and spend a day out on the town with your brother Jamie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let you know I love you all sooooo much! Thank you for spending time to read my drabble, give me kudos, and leave me comments. You're the best!!

_You won't know if you don't try_. Tony’s voice echoed in your head. It occupied your mind whenever it wasn't focused on something else. It was there as you sat in your doctor's office Monday when you flipped through the dress catalog Pepper loaned you. Each of the male models in expensive tuxs had Matt's face. On Tuesday Tony reminded you to invite Matt to the party while you were at Stark tower for work. You threw a notebook at him.

_You won't know if you don't try._ But how were you supposed to try? Dating was never something that came easy to you. The fact that you hadn’t really dated since college didn’t fill you with confidence either. The more you dwelled on it the more your stomach churned with anxiety. You couldn’t do it and you were embarrassed just thinking about being around Matt the next day.

You called Nelson and Murdock late that night and was relieved when you got their answering machine. "Hey guys, I'm not going to make it to the office tomorrow. I'm not feeling well. But I should be in Saturday," You lied. How hard would it be would it be to eternally call in sick? Then you’ll just stop calling at all and change your cell number. Go off the grid. Perfect.

Maybe your excuse wasn’t an all out lie, maybe just a half-truth. The whole day you've had this uneasiness and anxiety in your stomach. It convexed like liquid boiling in a pot, the churning motion making you feel ill even if you weren’t sick.

About the only confortable thing at the time was the oversized couch under you as you absentmindedly listened to the TV. Now that you avoiding your boss how were you going to fill the next day? What could you do to keep your mind off of _him_? Jamie interrupted this train of thought as he walked through the front door of the apartment.

 

"Hey James." you say looking up from the couch, "How was school?"

"It was good. I killed that lit test.” He said, looking proud of himself. He shluffed his bag off in the doorway and went for the fridge. “How was the doctor?"

"Good, I'm going in again Thursday, he thinks that I can get the cast off then." You said, rapping on the fiberglass that covered your broken arm.

James peeked over the fridge door and raised an eyebrow, "That was quick."

You shrugged nonchalantly, "Yeah. Maybe that's my superpower, accelerated healing."

He laughed, and plopped next to you with a can of soda in his hand. You extended your legs across his lap, prodding him affectionately a couple times with your socked feet before resting them on his lap. In that moment you had an idea. A way to get you out of the house and keep your mind off of Matt the next day.

"How would you feel about ditching school tomorrow." you ask James with a sly grin on your face.

"Who are you, and what did you do to my sister." he joked.

"Seriously," you said, sitting up excitedly, "We could go to Manhattan to that bookstore you like, maybe do some shopping, eat lunch at the park, watch a movie. It will be great!"

"The last time you said we were going to a movie we wound up getting cornered in an ally" he pointed out. Your behavior was odd, and Jamie was slightly alarmed. Not alarmed enough to tell you about his alarmedness, but enough to proceed with caution.

His education had always been something very important to you. Even when the two of you were bouncing around everywhere you had still sat down and “home schooled” him, well enough that he could start classes with his age group when he started going back to public school. For you to suggest ditching school was unheard of.

"This time going to the movies isn't a euphemism?" you said, although not very convincingly.

"Are you sure?" He joked; you playfully through a pillow at him and Jamie let it hit him in the chest.

"Come on!" you groaned, "We haven’t been able to spend time with each other in _forever!_ I want to hang out with my favorite brother"

“I’m your only brother.” He pointed out, taking a sip of his soda.

You voice came out as a whine, “ _Pleeease?”_

"Sure,” he said with a shrug, “sounds like fun."

You pumped your fist in victory "Great! Then it's settled."

______________________

You day of distraction started off right with doughnuts and coffee at one of the local bakeries in town. It was nice for it to be just the two of you spending a day together. Between Jamie’s school and S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff and your jobs the two of you hadn’t seen much of each other in the past couple weeks.

Then was the long subway ride to Manhattan, which was about ten times better than usual because James was there with you. Your conversation was mainly a lighthearted debate over who would win if Nova and Spider Man got in a real fight. You were for Peter while Jamie argued on behalf of Sam.

The two of you made it to Jamie's favorite bookstore. It warmed your soul to see how his eyes lit up like Christmas when he entered the store. He caressed their spines, finally deciding to flip through the pages of a heavy hardcover book. While Jamie took his time looking at the books you found yourself a quiet nook on the second floor. After finding a book about hard drives you sank into a deep chair and began to aimlessly skim it’s pages.

Jamie found your hiding spot with two books firmly under his arm. He opted for a seat on the floor next to you and leaned against the side of the large armchair as he opened the book. A quiet comrodery was shared between the two of you as both of you continued to read uninterrupted.

 You glanced up from your book to check the time on your phone. That's when you saw him: nice hair, light stubble, dark glasses, and his cane leading the way. The one person you were attempting to avoid. You gasped, not really meaning to. He stopped and seemed to look right at you.

 

"Is something wrong (y/n)?" Your brother asked, also hearing your gasp.

"No, I'm fine." You reply. That seemed to be all the conformation Matt needed. He walked toward you and smiled "is that you (y/n)?"

"Hey Murdock. Fancy meeting you here."

He laughed, "seeing a blind man in a bookstore would be surprising." You agreed, "but this store has the best selection of books in braille in nyc."

James coughed, one of those fake coughs you make when you want someone’s attention. It didn't fool anyone.

"Right," you said as if you were just remembered the niceties that were appropriate for the situation, "Matt, this is my brother James. James, this is Matthew Murdock. He's one of the partners at the law office I've been consulting at."

"It's nice to finally meet you James." Matt said, holing out a hand, "(y/n) talks about you a lot."

"Same and same." James said with a grin taking his hand and shaking it. You silently glared at your brother. He just winked at you like he was doing you a favor. It wasn't like you didn't talk about Matt. You talked about Matt, Karen, Foggy, Tony, Pepper, the kids on James' team, and work all equally. Or at least that is what you told yourself. You have a habit of telling yourself a lot of things, mostly they're lies. This was no different.

"I see you're feeling better." Matt said, with a smirk.

"I-I well . . ." you tried to explain, and failed. Meeting your very attractive boss while you're out playing hooky, trying to avoid said attractive boss was something really hard to explain.

"You don't have to justify wanting to spend time with your family (y/n)." His voice was soft and kind and vaguely familiar.

"Thanks." you said sincerely.

The conversation slipped into a confortable silence. Jamie stood observing, noting how the two of you inched closer together, the slight pink tinge of your cheeks, and Matt's kind smile. As a plan formed in his mind a wicked grin formed on his face.

"We were just about to go to lunch Matt, how about you come with us."

You looked at Jamie, jaw dropped in complete surprise. He just had a satisfied smile. You waited for Matt's answer, simultaneously wanting him to say yes and no at the same time.

"I would love to." he said with a smile and then turned to you, "If that's alright with your sister." Your heart leapt a little but you weren't sure why.

"Uhh, sure." You didn't seem sure.

"Great! Just let me go the bathroom real quick and we can head out." he ran off in the direction of the restrooms and left the two of you together.

Matt turned his attention towards James as he sped off. "You brother is a really nice kid," he noted, turning his attention back to you.

"Yeah, he is. A lot better than I was." You said, letting a chuckle out when you remembered your childhood.

"I don't believe that."

You laughed, "With all the trouble I got into as a teenager, I really feel for my parents."

"I bet you where the quiet, straight 'A' student who never did anything wrong." God, that lopsided grin of his was killing you.

"Then you would lose that bet. I may have had straight 'A's but they almost didn't let me graduate."

"And why's that?"

"I may have been accused of posting a rude video of the Principal and making all the school's computer play it every time someone tried to use them." You shrugged, and then realized that he couldn't see you shrug, "There was a shrug there. Anyway, they knew it was me, but they couldn't prove it, so I got to walk. I mellowed out a little during college, and a lot when I started taking care of James."

Just as you talked about him James came back from the restroom, "where you guys talking about me?" he asked in mockingly aghast.

"Only good things." Matt assured.

"Good. Let’s go eat, I'm _starved_."

The three of you sat on a grassy spot in Central Park's East Meadow. Though New York City was famous for their hot dog stands, you let your time in SoCal show as you took the boys to your favorite taco stand before you went to the park. Now tacos surrounded you along with the smell of fresh cilantro and Mexican style meats. You lead Matt during the walk from the bookstore to the taco stand to the park, arms linked, shoulders touching.

As the three of you talked you decided you were glad that Jamie invited Matt. You enjoyed the good company, soft grass, cool weather, and bright sun. A picnic in the park, what was more normal and comfortable than that?

Your normal afternoon was interrupted by the buzz of James' S.H.I.E.L.D communicator. He looked down at it with a frown and mouthed to you "Fury." Just when you were enjoying yourself your crazy live had to come stumbling in. You nodded at Jamie in understanding.

Jamie got up and wiped the grass from his pants, "Sorry. I have to go. I'm going to meet up with some friends." He lied. It hurt you to here how smooth the lie sounded. Jamie used to be such a honest kid before the running and S.H.I.E.L.D. and it’s secrets.

Matt directed his attention to James, his head turned toward the sound of his voice, "I thought all your friends would be at school?"

"Nah," James said with a wave of his hand, a totally useless gesture since he was talking to a blind man, "My friends and I are a bunch of truant hooligans."

Matt grinned, "I'm sure."

You grabbed Jamie's hand "be careful." You whispered, trying not to let the worry seep into your voice.

He squeezed yours and smiled as reassuringly as possible, "I will." Then he was gone and you and Matt were left alone.

Matt tried to avoid the sudden melancholy aura by awkwardly trying to take a bite out if his taco. As he took a bit most of it's contents spilled out and fell into the paper wrapper in his lap.

"Can I help you with that?" You asked, giggling. You didn’t want to assume he needed or wanted your help but you felt like you should offer.

He sighed in defeat, "please."

You took the taco and wrapped it neatly in the paper so he could hold the paper and eat without as much mess. You held it out to Matt. Instead of taking it back, like you expected, he just bent down and took a bite.

"Hey, I'm not going to feed you!" you laughed, giving him an affectionate push with your shoulder.

"You just said you were going to help me, you never told me how.” Matt pointed out, joining your laughter with his own, “I am blind you know, It's not like I can see what you're doing."

"I'm still not feeding you," you say with a laugh, and you hand him the food. He takes it this time.

There was silence again after the laughter subsided. You stared at your feet, feeling awkward and embarrassed and not knowing why.  _Damn it Jamie, why did you have to leave me here alone._  You thought to yourself.

 

"Sorry you were left with the social inept of the (y/l/n)s." you mumble

"What?" Matt asked, though you were positive that he heard you.

"James is a lot better at socializing with people than I am. He's a real friendly kid. Never met a stranger." You explained.

"Well, if I had to choose between the two, I'm glad it was with you." You were silent, not knowing what to say, and then he continued, "We should do this again some time."

And there it was, an invitation to spend more time with you. You were terrified and excited at the same time. _You'll never know if you don't try_  flashed through your head like it had so many times the last few days. Except this time it was different. All the other times it was the memory of Tony saying it to you. This time you thought it, in your voice. You wanted this.

 

"Hey Matt?" You asked.

"Yeah?" he seemed worried. Most likely he assumed he had crossed a line when he unofficially asked you out. For some strange reason his worry helped calm your fluttering stomach.

"Do you want to go to a company party with me next Friday?" as soon as you started the words kept spilling out in a nervous mess, "My annoying and demanding boss really wants me to bring a date. It's super formal, but don't worry about the cost of a tux. I'll make my boss pay for it, he owes me. I just thought it would be nice to go with you." as you spoke your volume decreased, turning into a murmur by the end of it.

You were too busy looking down at your feet to see Matt's beautiful and genuine smile. You felt a hand on your hand and found yourself face to face with him, still smiling. "I would like that a lot (y/n)." he said softly not seeming to mind the string of awkward words that tumbled out of your mouth just moments ago.

And there it was, the thing that you had dreaded and anticipated at the same time over. Matt was going to Stark's company party with you, and you were ecstatic.

"But how are you going to dance in a cast?" he asked teasingly.

"How are you going to dance blind?" you countered

He smirked, "I manage."

"So will I. Actually I getting my cast removed tomorrow."

"That's great! So you're free Saturday right?"

You thought if he was referring to your message, wondering if you were still coming to work Saturday, "Yeah, I should be in the office then."

"What if I get measured for my tux Saturday? We can go out early and I can see your boss's tux guy and maybe we can grab some lunch."

"I would like that."

The two of you sat together, his hand on yours, and just talked. You talked about nothing. You talked about everything. You talked until he had to go back to the office. Then you went home.

You crawled out onto the fire escape again, sitting on the edge, your legs hanging down swaying in the empty space. You called Pepper and made a tux measuring appointment for Saturday. You asked her to take you dress shopping Friday. You prayed that everything would work out.


	9. Speak of the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations begin for Tony's big party. First dress buying then tux measurements, but what's with this untimely interruption?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugg, this chapter was the death of me. Definitely not my strongest writing. Hopefuly you are still willing to read the next chapters. As always thank you soooo much for the kudos. I appreciate every kudo and comment, they really motivate me!

The large plush couch was uncomfortable under you. Pepper and Tony flanked you, both ready to jump up and grab you if you decided to try and escape. Here it was, the dreaded dress shopping day.

 A woman with a friendly smile and helpful demeanor approached the three of you. "What can we help you with Mr. Stark?" She asked. Of course her attention went straight to the person with the fattest wallet. It also made you wonder how often Tony was in the store.

 

 "I need a dress for my friend here. I'm having a party next week. Something sexy that shows her off." He explained while he gestured to you. You shrunk back away from her attention. Your face grew red, though you weren't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger since you were feeling both. You tried to wrap your mind around why Tony insisted on coming dress shopping, which was probably the most boring thing you could imagine.

 Thankfully Pepper took over, "It's black tie. I think an evening gown would be appropriate."

Finally the woman turned her attention to you. "If you'll follow me miss." She said with a friendly grin. You forced yourself from your seat and moped behind her. She lead you to the plain white dressing room. The only things in it were a line of hooks and two very large mirrors.

"Tell me about the event?” she asked, as if trying to make casual conversation.

You shrugged, "A fancy ass company party at Stark tower."

"You don't sound too excited." She noted.

"Big formal is not my thing." You explained. "Really I just want something comfortable." 

"Something comfortable but sexy enough to apse your boss?" she asked encouraging.

"Something like that." You agreed.

She came back with several dresses. You felt like a doll as she dressed you, showed you to Pepper and Tony, only for you to be whisked away back to the dressing room because one of the three of you had a problem with it.

After the third dress Tony personally delivered a dress to your dressing room.

"No way." You said, the second you had it on. It was bright red with a plunging front and back. The slit was dangerously high on your thigh. It had long sleeves made of mesh and lace. Down the side was also the sheer mesh and lace ending just below the panty line. The dress was made to flaunt everything you didn't have.

 "There is no way in hell." you reiterated.

She gave you an understanding look. "Let's just go out and show Tony,” she encouraged, “He'll see why it won't work." 

He didn't. Instead he let out a wolf whistle when he first caught sight of you.

"That's sexual harassment Mr. Stark," you grumbled, tugging at the lace sleeves self-consciously.

"That's the one!"

"No, I am not going to wear this." you said, your voice firm.

"You look so sexy! You'll drive your date crazy in that dress. Everyone else too!"

"Need I remind you that my date is blind? I could wear a paper bag and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference. There is no way I am going to put this dress on ever again."

"I'm paying for the dress," he reminded you

"And I'm the one who has to wear it," you countered

Tony turned to Pepper, hoping that she would back him up, "Pepper, tell her how great she looks!" You gave her a pleading look, if anyone could see that this dress wasn’t meant for you it would be her.

"Tony, that dress is awful. There is no way (y/n) is going to wear it."

Tony dropped his head in defeat. "Fine, whatever."

You let out a sigh of relief and allowed yourself to be lead back to the dressing room to change again. You went through another two dresses and both didn't work. Pepper came by the dressing room this time, holding a dress that she had picked out.

The woman smiled taking the dress, "Yes, I think she'll like this."

And finally, you did. It was a beautiful navy dress, sleeveless with a scoop collar. There was some mesh and lace on either side of your shoulders as well as a small mesh panel on your chest, just above your belly. The dress was backless, a large diamond of skin exposed on your back and sides. 

"What do you think?" you asked the other two as you walked out. You felt more comfortable and confident in this dress than any of the others, and it showed.

"You look fantastic!" Pepper said, "That dress looks like it was made for you."

"I liked the red one better." you and Pepper glared at Tony, "But this one is a close second."

"Well," you said with a smile, "I guess we have a winner."

__________

 

"No Tony, there is no way you're going to his tux fitting. You'll meet him at the party just like everyone else. It's weird enough that you went dress shopping with Pepper and I." You whispered into your phone as you stood outside of Matt's apartment. You had just knocked on the door when Tony called you.

A whine came from the phone but you weren't listening. Instead you looked at Matt, who had just opened the door. You quickly hung up your phone, cutting Tony off mid complaint. It was the first time you had seen Matt in casual cloths and it had caught you off guard. He looked handsome.

"Hey." you said, a little awkwardly.

"Hey," He echoed with a smile, "how did the doctor's appointment go?"

"Great!" You said, using your once casted arm to link with his. "No cast. I still can't lift things with it but physical therapy starts Monday and the doctor says it'll be good as new in no time."

"That is great." He replied with a smile.

For once you took a taxi. You enjoyed your proximity to Matt and the conversation on your way to the tailor shop. Soon the driver stopped at the address Tony had given you.

The bell on the door jingled as the two of you entered into the tailor's shop. You were surprised at its small size, a stark contrast to the huge dress store you were dragged to the other day. Everything was sleek and clean, including the man who greeted you as you entered the shop. He was an older man, tall and dressed smartly in a suit with a measuring tape draped over his shoulder.

"Is there something I can help you with?" you could see his judging eyes look over your plain cloths.

"Um, yes," you start self-consciously, "We have a measuring appointment for 11."

He frowned, "Ah, Mr. Stark's favor. If he sends me another last minute job like this it is going to be the end of me." he shook his head.

Matt shot you a surprised look, "Mr. Stark?" he whispered

You shrugged "He may be my annoying and demanding boss."

"Well, follow me." Said the man, turning and not waiting for you to follow. You lead Matt to the back of the shop and watched as the owner popped a pencil in his mouth and pulled out his tape. He would make a couple measurements on Matt and then make notes on a slip of paper.

"What's the dress?" he asked, focused still on the measuring. You rattled off the designer and name of the dress. He nodded approvingly.

"I also have some sample fabric and a photo.,” you added.

"Good, give them to me." he demanded, holding his hand out. You fumbled around your bag and gave them to the impatient man. He took them and then returned to his notes.

"Yes, gray tux, navy shirt, with the mother of pearl rosette cufflinks." he mumbled, continuing to write his notes.

"What's going on?" Matt whispered to you, as if worried about breaking the man's concentration if he spoke to loud.

"He’s flitting about the shop and taking notes," you whisper back, "Stark just told me to bring you in with my fabric sample and he would do everything else."

"I'm done with you, come back Wednesday." Said the man, shooing the two of you away with his hand, still writing furiously.

The man didn’t pay any attention to your thanks. He just continued to rush around his shop. "All right then." you said taking Matt's arm and headed for the door.

"Seriously though, you work for Tony Stark?" Matt asked as soon as you walked out of the shop walking down the sidewalk toward a restaurant nearby.

"I just help with some programming stuff a couple times a week. It's just a job."

"He likes you enough to pay for your date's custom tux." Matt pointed out.

"Yeah."

"Really, why don't you want people know that you work with Tony Stark?"

"People just make such a big deal about it. It makes me a little uncomfortable.”

Matt nodded "That makes sense."

The muffled sound of Tony’s voice came from your bag. You reached into your bag and pulled out your ringing phone. “Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist.” Why was Tony calling you now? Especially since you had just talked to him a few hours ago.

“Sorry Matt.” You said, “I got to take this.” Matt gave you and understanding look as you answered the phone. “Mr. Stark,” your voice sounded almost as annoyed as you felt, “I am in the middle of something.”

“I know, but I need your help. There’s been some type of security breach at Stark Industries, I need you to check it out.” There was some kind of feedback coming from the phone, making you strain to understand what he was saying.

“Tony, are you in that tin can of yours?”

“It’s not a tin can.” He said defensively, “There is a car headed to your location right now to pick you up.”

“Why can’t you fix it? Or Caraway, he’s the head programmer.” You sounded exasperated and desperate. Of course once you are on an actual date with Matt something has to come and ruin it. You should have figured.

“As you so astutely deduced, I am in my suit on some emergency Avenger business. As for Caraway, he’s the idiot who missed the breach in the first place.” You groaned, realizing that the likelihood of you getting out of this was getting smaller and smaller. “Please (y/n), you specialize in security, you’re the only one I can trust with this.” Tony spoke in a serious and earnest tone. The one he always spoke in when the situation was grave.

You sighed, “Ok Stark. You owe me. Big time.”

“Thank you.” Was his reply and then the call went dead.

You angrily shoved your phone into your bag, your other arm still linked with Matt’s. You sighed again and ran a frustrated hand through your hair. You looked up at Matt, who was looking down at you. You weren’t positive about how much of your conversation he had overheard but he looked at you with sympathy.

“Your annoying and demanding boss?” he asked, sounding like he already knew the answer.

“Living up to the name, isn’t he?” you huffed, unamused.

A sleek black car with the Stark Industries logo plastered pulled away from the busy city street and glided up to the curb. It had come a lot sooner than you expected. Your gaze went to the car and back to Matt, torn between where you wanted to be and where you were needed.

“It’s ok,” Matt said, as if sensing your distress, “I’ll call a cab. You go what you need to do.”

“Thanks Matt. I’m really sorry about this.” You said, reluctantly removing your arm from his.

To your surprise his strong arms snaked around you in a quick hug. “I’ll see you later,” He said releasing you from his arms and propelling you towards the car. You got into the car, dazed. It could have been a worse goodbye, and the promise of later sent a spark of excitement through your veins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun trying to find dresses for inspiration! [Here](http://www.ericdress.com/product/Ericdress-Long-Sleeve-Ttumpet-Lace-Evening-Dress-11422945.html) is what inspired the dress Tony picks and [here](http://www.ericdress.com/product/Ericdress-Elegant-A-Line-Split-Front-Backless-Evening-Dress-11477998.html) is the dress that Peper picks


	10. Party Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the obligatory party chapter. Actually it's part one, there is another half coming up in the next couple weeks. I hope you enjoy! As always thank you so so so much for the comments and kudos <3

You clutched your silver purse in your hand, feeling awkward and anxious in the hallway outside of Matt's apartment. It had been a week since you went tux shopping with Matt with very little interaction with him since. Ever since the security breach at Stark Industries Tony had you working double time trying to find who had hacked into his system and what information they got. Between working with Stark and your physical therapy you didn’t have any down time. Now it was the big day. You took a deep breath in preparation and knocked twice. After waiting a while you heard shuffling behind the door. The door opened to Foggy's face.

"Wow," he breathed. His eyes looked you up and down, drinking in your styled hair, navy dress, and silver shoes and clutch.

"Um, hi Foggy,” you said trying not to feel nervous, key word trying, “is Matt ready?"

"Yeah, just about. Come on it." Foggy stepped out of the way and headed towards Matt's room. You followed him inside and stood self-consciously in Matt’s living room. You were filled with an unlikely mix of excitement and apprehension. The fancy dress, fancy party, fancy everything seemed too much for you, but the prospect of spending the night with Matt was worth it. "(y/n) really is a knock out Matt." You heard Foggy say to Matt as he opened the bedroom door. You blushed a little at his comment.

Soon Matt joined you in the living room. You had a hard time remembering to breath when he walked out in his gray tux. The navy dress shirt matched your dress perfectly "You look great Matt. Very handsome." You said to him once you’re got your breath back, walking over and taking his arm.

He bent and smelled your hair, "You smell very nice. I'm sorry I can't complement you on your dress. Foggy tells me you look fantastic. I don't doubt it." He smiled, and you couldn’t help but smile back.

As you two walked to the door you heard Foggy call behind you, "Have fun kids, be safe. Don't do anything I wouldn't do" You looked behind him to see him shoot you an exaggerated wink that caused you to laugh and your face to grow red again.

The two of you approached a sleek black car. It’s lights flashed and locks clicked as you unlocked the vehicle and opened the door for Matt. "Tony let me borrow a car." You said, a little embarrassed. Specifically because it was a brand new Dodge Challenger.  _Out of all the cars he owns,_  you think, rolling your eyes as you get into the car. It makes a low growl when you started it.

 

"It sounds good." Matt pointed out.

"It sounds like it's overcompensating for something," you mumbled and Matt laughed.

 You drove up to the front of Stark Tower. A valet opened the door for you and Matt and took your keys to park it. Not only was it a way to keep the parking organized, but also a way to make sure no one was driving inebriated.

 

You took a deep breath, trying to prepare your mind and body for the stress and anxiety it was about to face. Matt was right there, his hand in your hand was reassuring. For once you were glad you didn't have to face this alone. You griped his hand tightly and tried to take slow steady breaths as you entered the party. The mass of people made you feel enclosed and vulnerable. "Are you ok?" Matt asked concerned.

 

"I hate these things. They always set me on edge." you explained, trying not to breathe so loud and calm your racing heart. You felt Matt interlock his fingers with yours and give your hand an encouraging squeeze.

Once you entered the party Tony was on you in an instant with Pepper trailing behind him. "(y/n)!" he shouted with glee, waving at you. You were half tempted to ignore him, but Matt had already focused his attention to Tony's direction. He turned to face him, also turning you because of your linked arms.

"Stark." you acknowledge, not willing to give him much attention for fear he was going to do something embarrassing.

Tony turned his attention to Matt. "Hello, I'm Tony Stark, but you probably already knew that." Tony said with a smile, holding out his hand for a shake.

"Only if he recognized your annoying voice," you muttered, not quite loud enough for Tony to hear.

"Matthew Murdock." Matt also held out his hand, Tony took it and gave it a couple good firm shakes. You were glad that Tony didn't have access to a computer. You were sure he would be trying to dig up whatever he could on Matt as soon as he could. For now he would have to gain his information the old fashion way; conversation.

"This is my lovely girlfriend and CEO of Stark Industries, Miss Pepper Potts." You could see his adoration for Pepper on his face and pride in his voice. There was no doubt in your mind that Tony loved Pepper. He was lucky, since Pepper was the best thing to ever happen to him.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Murdock." Pepper with a smile.

"The pleasure is mine."

"So, Matthew, what do you do for work?" you groaned. Here it began, the interrogation.

"I am a defense attorney. My business partner and I have a small law office in Hell's Kitchen."

"Do you get a lot of work?"

"We stay busy enough."

 

"You look great. You both do." It was Pepper who tried to engage in conversation with you. Tony and Matt seemed to be hitting it off quite well. You were surprised how he handled Tony's inflamed head.

"Thanks Pepper."

"So (y/n) how did you two meet?" it was Tony this time.

"He called me to do a computer security consultation almost a month ago."

He looked at you suspiciously, "You mean right after you broke your arm and told me you couldn't come into work?"

You shrugged in reply, "Something like that."

"I see how it is, ditching me for an attractive man."

"It wasn't like that" you said, embarrassed. Tony just laughed it off.

"I was the lucky one." Matt interjected, "Her demeanor and personality was a breath of fresh air. I was getting tired of Foggy's whine." He smiled and squeezed your hand. You squeezed back.

"Well," Tony said with an exaggerated sigh, "I would love to spend all night getting to know you Mr. Murdock, but sadly I have other guests to entertain. Enjoy the party." And with that Tony and Pepper excused themselves.

"So what now?" you asked looking up at Matt.

"What do you usually do at company parties?"

"Have an obligatory drink and then go home"

Matt laughed, "You could introduce me to your coworkers. Do you have any friends you work with?"

You laughed humorlessly. "Technically I don't even work for the company that is throwing this party. This is put on by Pepper Potts for Stark Industries employees. I don't work for Stark Industries, I was hired directly by Tony as someone he could bounce ideas off of and code some of his projects. Most of the time I work here at Stark Tower while everyone else works at the company building."

"So you don't know anyone here?"

"Not very well. Sometimes I pop to the Stark Industries building ever once and awhile. Usually to fix something. The only person I really know is--"

"Ahh (y/n)!" shouted a man that was walking towards you. He was blond with a pointed nose and small eyes, wearing a smart black tux and purple dress shirt.

"This asshole." you finished quietly, so the asshole in question didn’t hear you talking about him.

The man traversed the crowd of people, finding himself in front of you and Matt.

"I see James has gotten quite a bit taller since the last company party." The blond man said, gesturing to Matt. Everything about him exhumed a pompous attitude; from they way he walked to how his hair was styled. His person oozed cockiness. It constantly pissed you off. "I'm Richard Caraway, head programmer for Stark Industries." Richard said, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Matthew Murdock." Matt said politely. He did not extend his own and was either unaware of Richard's hand or was ignoring it.

"Ah, yes well." Richard said taking his hand back and gliding it into his pocket, "I'm surprised (y/n) found someone to entertain her for more than an afternoon. Fickle things, women." He said with a knowing smile.

Next to Matt you were fuming. Your hand gripped your clutch tightly, half tempted to throw it at the man’s face. It would be so satisfying to see his shocked expression and, hopefully, a blue bruise forming on his face.

Still, the man prattled on, "About the only person to keep her attention is Mr. Stark. If you know what I mean."

"Yes, (y/n) had told me about her professional relationship with Tony in detail. You, on the other hand, I have never heard of. If you'll excuse us." Matt led you by the hand away from Richard. Though you weren't sure how, the two of you wound up at the bar. You gratefully took a seat and flagged down the bartender.

"Something good. Maybe with gin. Hell, I don't know."

"I have just the thing for you." He said with a smile and started mixing a drink.

Matt sat beside you, putting a hand gently on your shoulder. "What's his problem?" he asked, obviously referring to Richard.

"He wants my job. And I told him to go to hell when he asked me on a date. He's an arrogant ass hat who will do whatever he can to get what he wants. The more it makes me look bad, the better. Which includes the rumor that Tony and I are sleeping together. Sadly, with him being the lead programmer, I have a lot more interaction with him than anyone else at Stark Industries."

The bartender set down your drink. You raised the glass in thanks and took a drink gratefully, "This is good," you said, taking another drink.

Matt ordered himself a drink, just a beer, and drank with you. The two of you just talked and enjoyed each other's company as you finished your drinks.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked you, setting down his empty glass.

"How is that going to work? You're blind." You asked. The alcohol made your lips loose, but you still had control over yourself.

"I already told you, I’ll manage." He took your hand, "just take us to an empty part of the dance floor."

You lead him to the fringe of the dancing couples. Matt grabbed your waist and led you in a slow waltz. You were surprised as he gracefully led you on the floor. "Let me know if I'm going to run into someone ok." His nose and eyes crinkled when he smiled, just like they usually did. He didn't run into anyone, just glided the two of you on the dance floor.

"Where did you learn to dance so well?" You asked as he smoothly lead you in the dance.

"I knew a girl in college who was a ballroom dancer. She insisted that she teach me. I can't really do more than the basic steps. You're doing really well to."

"Don't lie. I've stepped on your feet twice already.

"I was just lucky I didn't get the heel."

Suddenly Matt's face was serious, just as his expression changed you felt your body collide with another's. A glass tipped and fell on the ground as liquid ran down the side of your dress.

"Oh, that's too bad." said a snide voice. You looked up to see Richard's face sneering at you, "You really shouldn't be so clumsy." You looked at the stain on your dress; red wine mixed with the blue material left a deep purple streak of fabric. All eyes were on you, alerted by the sound of breaking glass. Hot anger pricked at your eyes, but you refused to cry. Crying was for the big things and this child wasn't worth your tears. Instead you marched toward the bathroom. Pepper saw what happened and followed you, Matt close behind.

You burst into the woman's bathroom relieved to find it empty. You didn't even know what you were doing there. The stain wouldn't come out with just water. Even if it did you would still be in a soaked dress. You tried to understand why Richard would do that to you; what about you threatened him so much that he had to humiliate you so completely?

The door opened and Pepper walked in. "Are you ok?" she asked with concern, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need a break."

"I bet I have another dress that will fit you, let me go grab it."

"Thanks Pepper."

The door opened as she left and closed behind her. You felt a hand on your shoulder again and looked up to see Matt's face. "Matt, you can't be in here, it's a woman's restroom." You said, sounding a little exasperated.

"What am I going to do? Peep?" He asked with a sideways smile. You let out a amused huff. You felt his comforting hand on your shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I'm angry and embarrassed and upset. I - I can't believe he did that." He could hear your ragged breathing and the catch in your voice, but still you refused to cry. Matt wrapped his strong arms around you. His warmth was reassuring and confortable. You hugged him back, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders and burring your face in his chest.

"Hey," he said, taking your face in his hands, "You are beautiful."

You laughed, "How would you know, you can't see."

"Foggy thinks I have some extra sense that tells me if someone is attractive or not." You snorted, "And if I so happened to have this extra sense, it would be going off like a siren."

He continued to hold your face, gently stroking your cheeks, then your eyebrows, forehead, and jawline. His cool hands inspected every inch of your face. You were thankful that he couldn't see you blushing.

"Like I said, beautiful" he breathed. Your heart started to beat faster as he leaned closer, his lips just a breath away from yours. Weather it was his hands that was bring your face closer to his or if you voluntarily were moving to meet him you couldn't tell, but the distance between the two of you was rapidly decreasing. You could feel his hot breath on your face, and closed your eyes in anticipation.

The door to the bathroom opened. Your eyes shot open as you looked at the door. Matt also directed his attention at the sound, his hands falling from your face and finding a place to rest on your waist. Pepper came in, a dress in a clear plastic bag slung over her shoulder. "I found you another dress . . . " her sentence pittered off as she found you and Matt, still holding one another. "Did I interrupt something?" she asked curiously, though it was pretty obvious that she had.

You didn't know what to say, or what to think. Your mind was still swimming with what had almost occurred. You could still feel his hands on your face, still taste his breath. But the moment was now gone, and you were painfully aware of how awkward you felt standing in Matt's arms in the middle of the woman's restroom with a wine stain on your dress. You dropped your arms from Matt's shoulders and he did the same, taking a step back, "You're fine Miss Potts, thank you for all your help. I'll leave her in your good care." he smirked and reached for your hand. You grabbed it immediately and helped him to the door. "I'll be waiting for you," he said softly with a smile.

"I'll be out soon." You whisper to him, reluctant to let go of his hand.

Matt left the bathroom and stood outside of the door. Trying to keep his promise to wait for you. He heard steps approaching him, heavy footfalls that belonged to a man. He wore light cologne, a scent that belonged to Tony Stark. Matt had remembered it when the two were introduced earlier that night. "How is she?" Tony’s voice confirmed Matt’s suspicion.

"She's mad, but she will be all right. She knows she worth ten of him."

Tony let out a short staccato laugh to show his agreement, "She's a tough woman." Tony put his hand on Matt's shoulder, "Come on, let's have a drink."

Matt followed Tony to the bar and took a seat next to him. Tony flagged down the bartender and ordered them both drinks.

"You know," Tony started, taking a sip of his drink, "When (Y/N) said when was going to bring you I was ready fulfill my duty as the over protective best friend, but (Y/N) is so happy with you."

Matt looked up, his curiosity piqued, "I thought you told her she had to bring a date."

"I always tell her she has to bring a date. This is the first time she's actually done it. You should see how she is around you. Always smiling, so willing to take your hand or arm. You do the same. Offering your arm when it's pretty obvious you are capable of finding your way around, always trying to make her laugh, the way you grin when she says something clever. Can you please just make a move on her?"

Matt laughed, "I tried. Pepper interrupted us with a clean dress."

Tony joined in with his own laughter, "sorry about that. She was so worried about (y/n)." He took another sip of his drink, "Now, here comes the over protective best friend. If you hurt her, you'll have to answer to more than just me. You wouldn't know it, but (y/n) has some friends in pretty high places. People even I wouldn't want to cross."

"You don't have to threaten me Mr. Stark. I wouldn't dream of hurting her." Matt heard a loud laugh at the end of the bar, recognizing the voice of the man who had spilt the wine on your dress.

"The poor thing." Richard said mockingly to a small group of people, "I don't even know how she types with those clumsy fingers."

Matt clenched his fist as he turned his attention to Richard. "Excuse me Tony," he said, putting his drink down on the counter, "I have to punch someone in the face." Matt left his seat and walked toward the sound of Richard's voice.


	11. Late Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's party continues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much for the kudos! I'm sorry that this is late, but I hope you like it! Please feel free to leave comments and kudos!

Richard wasn't facing Matt; so he tapped his shoulder, "Excuse me," he said, his fist already clenched in anticipation.

"Ye-" before he could finish his reply, Matt had punched him square in the nose. He felt the cartilage smash under his fist and heard the crunch of Richards nose breaking. Richard wheeled back, his hands flying to his face. The smell of copper was in the air as Richard wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

Simultaneously Matt heard the door of the bathroom open. Your perfume was in the air. Your gate was quick as you navigated through the crowd. Matt could tell that you had changed dresses. This one was lighter and moved differently than the other.

"Son of-a bitch!" Richard swore. He squared up to Matt. You entered the circle of onlookers that surrounded Matt and Richard just as the two men went to punch each other. Time seemed to slow as you found a gap between the two fits. You skillfully slipped between the two. One hand grabbed Matt's and directed his punch down. Your other hand knocked Richards punch away and came back up to grab his throat.

"That is enough." you growled, your gaze boring into Richard’s. You felt him gulp under your grip.

"All right now, show's over." Tony said, braking up the crowd. You let go of Richard's neck and stood by Matt.

"Mr. Caraway, I suggest you leave." Tony said behind you, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"M-Mr. Stark! This man assaulted me and broke my nose. Unprovoked!" Whined Richard, his voice nasally as he held his nose. Blood dripped from his hand and landed on Tony’s luxurious tile floors.

"You're lucky he got to you first. If not I would have punched you _and_ fired you.” Tony said, trying hard to keep his voice even, “Now, if you still want a job I would leave if I were you."

Richard started to walk away and then turned back and shouted, "What kind of douche wears sunglasses to a formal party anyway?"

"He's blind you idiot. A blind man broke your nose." You shouted back at him. Matt had a tight grip on your hand, worried that you were going to leap on Richard and break something else. With that Richard huffed and marched away.

There was a stunned hush in the room, and all eyes were on you, Matt, and Tony. You could feel their gazes on you. You squeezed Matt's hand tighter and you were starting to have trouble breathing.

"Well!" Tony shouted, "I'm ready for a drink, who's with me?" there was a cheer and people went back to doing whatever it was they were before.

Matt could tell you were feeling distressed. He felt your elevated heartbeat though his palm and could hear you struggle to keep your breaths even. "Let's go outside," he whispered in your ear. You nodded and lead him to the balcony.

The cool night air helped to soothe your frazzled nerves. You took a long deep breath of it and let it out in a content sigh. As you leaned against the railing you looked at the city lights, soaking in the sights and sounds of the city at night. Matt was beside you and gently draped his arm around your exposed shoulders.

"Feeling better?" he asked, sounding like he already knew the answer.

"Much." you answered, taking in another deep breath. "Something about being outside at night. It's refreshing. Lonely, but in a good way, like you can finally breath. Finally think. At my apartment I like to crawl out of the window and sit on the fire escape. The apartment downstairs is pretty used to looking out their window and seeing my dangling feet."

"I wish I could feel the same way you do about the night." Matt's face was serious as he blindly gazed over the city. “So many people are so willing to do things in the dark that they never would do in the light.”

 

You leaned into him, your head resting comfortably on his chest. He rubbed your bare arm, “Sorry this night turned into a disaster.” He said.

 

You laughed, “Truthfully I’ve had more fun tonight than all of Tony’s parties combined. Thanks for coming with me.”

 

He brushed your cheek with his free hand and lifted your face up and leaned in. You met his lips with your own, thankful that no one was interrupting you this time. You moved closer to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He in turn let his arm migrate from your shoulder to the small of your back.

 

He tasted like beer and something else you couldn’t place, something lighter and cleaner. Your lips trembled and your mind buzzed as you tried to remember how kissing worked.

 

The two of you reluctantly parted. You felt embarrassed and voiced it, “sorry . . .”

 

“Sorry? About what?” he asked you, gently rubbing your cool arms, his touch burning a trail on your skin.

 

“It’s just been a really long time since I’ve kissed someone.”

 

“Oh, that’s what you’re worried about.” He said with a light chuckle, “You did fine.” And with that he gave you another kiss. You were more confident as you returned the kiss.

 

He took off his tux jacket and draped it over your shoulders. The residual body heat warmed your bare arms and shoulders. You liked the smell of it too.

 

“I want you to tell me what you see. Describe to me the view.” He said, his arm around your waist, you leaning into him again.

 

You did, describing the city in as much detail as you could.

 

You were smiling as the two of you rejoined the party, the group already starting to thin out. You still wore Matt’s jacket and the two of you were holding hands.

 

Tony and Pepper met up with the two of you. “We’re going to head home Tony.” You informed him.

 

Matt held out his hand, “Thank you Mr. Stark, It was good to meet you and thank you for the invitation.”

 

Tony took Matt’s hand and clasped Matt’s forearm with his other, “Call me Tony, and if there is anything you ever need Matt, let me know. Take good care of her,” Matt smiled and nodded.

 

You gave both Pepper and Tony a hug and waved goodbye as you lead Matt out.

 

You drove Matt back to Hell’s Kitchen and lead him to his apartment.

 

“Thanks for everything Matt.” You said.

He smiled his adorable smile, the one when his eyes and nose crinkles up, “You don’t call me Murdock anymore.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t call Foggy ‘Nelson’ or Karen ‘Page’ either. You’re my friends now. You all are stuck with me.”

 

His smile faltered, “Is that all this is?”

 

“God, I hope not.” you replied. With a smile he leaned down and kissed you again.

 

“Good.” He said with a definitive nod and reached into his pocket for his key.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” you asked tentatively.

 

Matt unlocked his door and opened it wide, “Do you want to come in?”

 

“I- uh.” You faltered. You weren’t sure what he was insinuating.

 

He seemed to feel your uncomfort, “I just want to give you something.”

 

“All right.” You follow him in his apartment and he went for the counter. He grabbed whatever was on it, something small that you didn’t get a proper look at. He walked back to you and handed you a silver key.

 

“It’s to my apartment, just in case you need anything when you are in this part of town. Take out your phone please.”

 

You put the key into the silver clutch and traded it for your phone. Matt rattled off his phone number and you typed it in.

 

“Call me, anytime. It doesn’t matter day or night. Ok?”

 

“Ok.” He seemed to be taking this very seriously.

 

He gave you one last hug and a kiss at the top of your head, “Drive safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah. Good Night Matt.”

 

“Good night (y/n)”

You smiled and left his apartment. You didn’t stop smiling, even after you parked Tony’s car in your normally empty parking space at your apartment and walked into your home. Jamie was laid out on the couch and was snoring lightly and the TV played softly in the background. Apparently he had failed to stay awake waiting for you.

 

Jamie sat up, groggy from his nap, and looked up at you through lazy eyes, “Hey Sis.” He suddenly looked confused, “Did you change dresses?”

 

“It’s a long story. You should go to bed. I’m going to take a shower and hit the hay.”

 

Jamie nodded and dragged his pillow behind him as he went to his room.

 __________________________

You looked at your phone, a missed call from Tony probably wondering where his car was. After you dropped the Charger at Stark Tower, thankful that Tony wasn’t there, you took the subway to Nelson and Murdock.

 

“How’s the computer coming?” Foggy asked as you walked in and headed straight for the computer.

 

“I should have it done today.”

 

“What” he asked surprised, and then whined, “But what are we going to do without you I’ve relied on your technical knowledge for so long. You’re like a permanent fixture in the office.”

 

Matt came in the door behind you, catching the tail end of Foggy’s complaint. “What’s going on?”

 

“(y/n) say’s she’ll be done with the computer today! We’ll never see her again!”

 

“I’m fairly certain that won’t be the case. I still have to take her on dates.”

 

Foggy looked at Matt, mouth agape.

 

“Yeah,” you added, “Maybe you can bring Karen to one and we’ll all have a double date.”

 

Foggy looked from you to Matt and back, “You can’t be serious . . .”

 

“Of course we are.” Matt grabbed your hand and kissed the top of your head. Your smile was wide as you looked at Foggy’s face, which was a mix of confusion and excitement.

 

“Well, all I can say is FINALLY. Matt’s been pining after you since we went out to lunch that one day.”

 

“How about you, when are you going to ask out Karen.” You prodded.

 

“Eventually.”

 

You grinned and went to working on the computer. You left after you had finished your work. Matt gave you a hug and a kiss on the top of your head before you went out the door. You left work but didn’t go home. Instead you walked around town trying to find leads on Ward. You were mostly unsuccessful and your arm wasn’t strong enough to try more violent ways to get information.

 

You heard feel land softly behind you and turned to see the man in the black mask. “You are going to scare me to death if you keep jumping out of nowhere like that. I gave you my number for a reason.” You said grumpily.

 

He didn’t look amused, “So you’re still planning on going after this Ward guy?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You just got your cast off. It’s too soon. You’re also being really obvious in your intel gathering. Aren’t you supposed to be some type of secret agent or something?”

 

“Why do you care?” you spat out. He looked like he was going to move to you, but to do what you were unsure. Maybe it was to throttle you or to beat some sense into you. You remembered something a professor told you once. You had taken an art history class with your friend Sophie when you were at Caltech. The professor was describing a Michelangelo sculpture and said something about how many of his sculptures were in the preparation of movement. As if the action was just below the surface, or a still in a video. That’s what the man in the masked reminded you of, that latent energy just about to burst, but whatever that movement was it didn’t come. 

 

“If Ward is really who you say he is then he is bad news for this city. If he’s as good as you say he is then if you go after him now you’ll die.” He let the last sentence hang in the air and then added, “Finish your physical therapy and I’ll help you bring this guy down.” He was right of course. Ward had years of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra training under his belt. Even at full strength your three years of training didn’t hold a candle to his more than a decade. You were going to need help.

 

Of course you wouldn’t tell him that.

 

“What ever.” You said, waving off his comments

 

You felt his hand grab your shoulder tight, “(y/n),” he said, his voice as firm as his grip, “Promise me that you won't go after him alone.”

 

You turned and looked at his covered eyes. With half is face covered it was hard to read, but the tone in his voice was crystal clear. He was worried. _Why do you care?_ You asked again, though no aloud. This man had taken an unnatural interest in you and you couldn’t understand why. Still, you couldn’t help think that there was something familiar in his touch and his voice.

 

“Ok, yeah.”

“Please” his voice was soft, almost begging.

 

“I promise that I won't go after him alone.”

 

“Thank you.” He said and then removed his hand. “You need to be careful.”

 

“It’s all part of my plan.”

 

“So getting caught and killed is part of you plan?”

 

“No, getting caught and then springing trap on Ward is my plan.”

 

“It’s a stupid plan.”

 

“Do you have a better idea? I need to know where he is hiding out. There is no trace of his location and no one is talking. The easiest way to his location would be for him to bring me there.”

 

“It’s dumb and dangerous.”

 

“It’s smart and with your help, it will work.”


	12. Diffrence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Matt have mirroring conversations with those close to you, both end very differently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this took so long to get to you! And I'm sorry about how very short it is! Thank you so much for reading and leaving comments and kudos, they give me life!

“Soooo,” Tony started, his voice dragging on to get your attention. You looked up, your face scrunched up in annoyance. Any conversation with that at the beginning was sure to be a bad one. “A lawyer?” Tony finished, grinning mischievously. You decided that your hypothesis was correct; this was the start of an awful and uncomfortable conversation.

 

The two of you had migrated to the lab instead of the shop. When Tony was at the tower the two of you usually worked together, even if it was just for comfortable company. You weren’t exactly sure what Tony was doing on the other side of the room, something to do with chemicals and beakers. You where a computer gal, not a chemist.

 

You pushed your chair away from the desk with an aggravated sigh, knowing that this topic of conversation wasn’t going to just go away. Tony Stark was a persistent son of a gun. “I like him,” Tony continued after noticing he had grabbed your attention, “He seems to be a good guy. And he sure wiped Richard’s clock.”

 

“He wouldn’t have had to if you would fire Caraway like I keep telling you.” You pointed out.

 

“You are literally the only one he has it out for.” Tony was right; Richard only gave you a hard time. Though you were positive that if Tony weren’t thoroughly head over heels in love with Pepper, Caraway would be gunning for her job. Instead he busied himself trying to take your job by spreading nasty rumors that most of the staff didn’t believe and, apparently, embarrassing you at company parties. You huffed, unamused.

 

“Richard is good at his job. He’s probably one of the top three programmers in New York. Though the only reason I keep him around is because number two won’t work for me full time.” Tony said, reaching for a bag on the table. He reached into it and popped a few craisins in his mouth while you wondered how safe it was to eat around all those chemicals.

 

“I’m sorry Tony that I have to raise my brother instead of waiting on your every beck-and-call.” The attitude dripped from your words. You hated it when Tony went on this particular tangent, insisting that you should drop everything and work around the clock. He even offered you an apartment at the tower one time. He didn’t seem to understand that you had more important responsibilities.

 

“James is a smart kid, he can take care of himself. You and I did, and I don’t think we turned out so bad.”

 

“He’s a kid Tony, just because he might be capable of taking care of himself doesn’t mean he should.” You said, making your tone as final as you could. Tony just shrugged, but didn’t continue the conversation.

 

You thought for a moment before shooting Tony a sly smile, “So you think I’m the second best programmer in New York?”

 

“Mummhumm.” Tony mumbled around a mouthful of craisins.

 

“And who’s number one?”

 

Tony swallowed his food and smirked, “Me of course.”

 

You shook your head, but didn’t argue.

 ___________________________________________________

 

Foggy and Matt sat at their confront table, surrounded by an unhealthy amount of takeout and towers of paper. Even for New York, the city that never sleeps, it was late. Foggy rubbed his eyes and groaned. He was convinced that if he didn’t take a break his eyes were going to fall out of his skull. The chair screeched across the floor as he got up from the table.

 

“Do you want some more coffee?” He asked his partner while taking hold of his own cup. Matt nodded and Foggy left to fill them with the pot’s dark liquid. “I’m glad you finally got with Petra.” He said, setting Matt’s coffee in front of him.

 

Matt rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. “Really!” Foggy continued, “you two are really good together.”

 

Matt absent-mindedly smiled as he stirred his drink, “You think so?”

 

“Yeah. She’s sweet, but also has this mysterious flare, kind of that one woman you dated in college. What was her name?” Foggy paused as the thought for a moment. He snapped his fingers, “Electra!”

 

Matt’s smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a scowl as he remembered Electra. He had loved her, more than he loved any woman. That’s why she had cut him so deep, and that is why he had to leave her. “She’s nothing like Electra.” Matt mumbled in his coffee, not really paying attention if Foggy had heard him or not. Matt just needed to vocalize that thought. He needed those words out in the world.

 

“What ever happened to her anyway?” Foggy asked curiously.

 

“Electra—” Matt started, only to sigh, “Electra wasn’t who I thought she was.” You weren’t like Electra at all. Matt knew you, your hidden self as well as the persona that you showed to everyone. He understood your motives. And he loved you for them.


	13. SHIELDS are down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when the man in the mask finds out that you are a SHIELD agent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have decided to stick with the third person writing style. I figured you wanted to get on with the story, and so did I. 
> 
> Also, I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG!! Thank you so much for be so patient, and always, I love comments and kudos. And, I love you guys so much!

“It’s the copier again.” You heard Foggy shout on the other side of the phone.

Matt, who was the one who actually called, chuckled over the line, “As you can tell we are pretty helpless over here without your technical know-how.”

“Did you order the new cord like I told you too?” You asked pointedly, shifting your cellphone to sit between your shoulder and jaw. It was silent for a beat while you pulled on your jeans. You took the lack of answer as a “no” and sighed, “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“I think Foggy broke it on purpose as an excuse to get you over here. We all miss having you around the office.” Matt whispered into the phone. His whispering didn’t do much good since you heard Foggy shout, “I heard that!” in the background.

A pang of guilt went though of your recent absence. Tony had kept you pretty busy since the security breach. It seamed like who ever had got into the system was kicked out before they could get any information, but other than the notification of the breach there was no trace of whoever had hacked Tony. Ever since you had been working with Tony and the slime ball Caraway on fortifying the security system. It had not been a pleasant experience.

You reached for a shirt that hung in your closet and removed it from the hanger. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. James might tag along, he’s been wanting to meet the Nelson and Murdock crew for a while.” You said while tossing the hanger on your bed.

“I’ll see you soon.” Came his tender reply.

You smiled as you replied, “Yeah, I’ll be there as soon as I can, bye.” The two of you reluctantly hung up the phone.

As you expected, Jamie jumped at the chance to finally meet Murdock and Co. The two of you sat squashed together on the busy subway car, the stop go motion sending the two of you colliding together. A motion the two of you exaggerated, trying to send the other flying off their seat.

"I have something to confess." Jamie said as he rammed into you.

"Oh?" You replied, pushing back so that you wouldn't fall over on top of the person next to you.

The train stopped, and so did your war for the moment while people shuffled in and out of the car. "Remember when we played hooky and I got called out by Fury?" He asked you. You nodded in reply, a little smile playing on your lips at the memory.

The train started moving and you leaned hard against Jamie, sandwiching him between yourself and the metal armrest. "Fury never called, I talked to Pete while I went to the restroom," Jamie said, the word restroom accompanied with air quotes made with his fingers, "then he called me on the com later so I had an excuse to give you two some alone time."

You stopped pushing against Jamie and just stared at him, unsure if you should hug him or punch him. You did neither; instead you elbowed him, or at least tried too. No one else saw that the blow didn't land, but you felt your elbow collide with something that definitely not his side.

"Owwww," you whined as you rubbed your sore elbow, "you're not supposed to us your power in public." Your voice was hush.

"And you're not supposed to be beating up on your little brother." Ha laughed.

There was a time that if Jamie had tried to block with his power he would have lit up the whole block with a huge glowing shield. The training had made him a lot less conspicuous. Now he could pinpoint blows and block without causing a scene, but it made it a lot harder to pick on him.

"You are such a brat."

"Yeah, but I'm your brat."

 

From the subway the two of you walked to the offices of Nelson and Murdock. Jamie looked from the paper sign on the door to you with a raised eyebrow, silently judging the dinky office.

You opened the door with a wide smile, finding everything as it should be. Karen sat at the desk, typing away on the laptop. Foggy peeked from around the corner nook with his freshly poured coffee. Matt was leaning against the wall, running his fingers over the braille paperwork in his hand.

"Hey (y/n)!" Foggy said, setting down his coffee and wrapping you in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey Foggy." You squeaked. Noticing how hard he was holding you he let you go.

You shuffled to the side to let Jamie into the office. "Guys, this is my brother James." You said, gesturing to Jamie, "this is Foggy, Karen, and you've already met Matt."

"Matt, you never said he was so tall!” Foggy commented, giving Jamie a look over.

“Blind, Foggy.” Matt reminded him.

“How tall are you?” Foggy asked, still in shock.

Jamie just shrugged, “five-ten”

“Five-ten? You are as tall as me! At 15?” Foggy looked at him in awe.

“But he has this adorable baby face and freckles so he kind of looks like an elongated 9 year old.” You said with a snicker.

“Sis—” James whined, rolling his eyes.

You looked at Jamie smiling. It was crazy to think that just a couple years ago he was shorter than you. He was even small for his age, but in the last few years he had just shot up. Most of the time you tried not to think about how fast he was growing up. Soon there wouldn’t be much you could do for him that he couldn’t do for himself. Someday he wasn’t going to need you anymore, and that terrified you. Especially since you knew that you were always going to need him.

"Ok, now that we're done picking on the poor high school kid. Don't you have a copier to fix?" James piped in, his face looked unamused, but there was a spark of humor in his eyes.

You rolled your own eyes. "All right slave driver," you said taking a hold of your bag and heading to the copier. Matt and Foggy followed you and looked over your shoulders as you crouched down and took apart the machine's plastic body.

James had elected to take a seat next to Karen and watch her work. The two kept a conversation easily. You were often jealous of how Jamie could befriend practically anyone. While your mental prowess was impressive, your social skills were lacking.

While you worked Jamie's phone went off. He fumbled around his pockets, looking for the cell that was playing a vaguely familiar old cartoon theme.

Recognizing the sound to be Peter’s ring tone you looked up from your work and shot Jamie a worried look. Jamie fished out his phone from his pocket and gave you a shrug.

"Is it ok if I take this in your office?" James asked Foggy, pointing a thumb at the room next to him. Foggy nodded and James disappeared through the door and shut it behind him.

"What's up Pete?"

Matt had tried to ignore James' conversation in the near by room, but the waves of worry that came off of you make him a little more than curious. Especially since the voice on the other side of the phone was the same boy James had called to pull him away from lunch those weeks ago.

Who ever "Pete" was he was important enough to warrant a private conversation behind close doors and could pull James away from his sister without question. The more Matt got to know you the more he learned what a difficult feat that was.

"Where are you?" Said the boy's voice on the phone, "Fury's, well being Fury, and is pissed that you're not here training."

Matt could hear James sigh, "I'm with my sister. We've had plenty of training without Fury adding extra."

"Come on James," Pete whined, "I'm going to get in trouble if you don't show up."

"I shouldn’t be subject to SHEILD’s every beck and call.” James huffed.

“Should I tell Fury that?” came Pete’s reply.

Next to you Matt stiffened, his hand unconsciously making a fist and his knuckles white in anger. _She wasn’t who I thought she was_. The conversation he had with Foggy seamed to come back to haunt him. You had lied. Something that was really hard to do to Matt. From what he knew HYDRA and SHIELD were one in the same. The organization you supposedly trying to stop was the very one you and James worked for.

“Is everything ok Matt?” you asked, feeling the sudden and dramatic change in his posture. You placed your hand on his shoulder as a sign of worry and comfort. He shook it off, leaving you confused and a little hurt.

He turned to you, a smile plastered on his face trying to calm your worry and hide his fury, “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

You still felt concerned, the tension still evident in Matt’s body, but decided not to push it further. Your mind was focused on another matter, Jamie’s phone call. You hoped it was something trivial like Peter asking for a pizza and movie night at the Middletons’ or Peter looking for some help on his English homework. At worst it was a call to arms, which never failed to put your anxiety into overdrive.

Your thoughts were interrupted when Jamie walked back into the main office. He closed the door with a huff, barely masking his annoyance; “Peter wants some help with his algebra homework.” To most anyone this would seem like a normal statement. For those who knew Peter and James it would seem more likely that James would be getting help with math homework. To you, this was code. You let out a little sight of relief, “homework” being James’ code for training. If James had said something like, “Pete wants to study for a _test,”_ you would know that SHEILD had a mission planned for the kids, but for now it was just extra training during the weekend.

“Are you leaving right now?” you asked, his guilty face already answering your question.

“Yeah.”

You got up from your spot on the floor and walked up to your brother. You had difficulty reaching his temple to give him a quick peck goodbye, but was finally able to reach it when he stooped down for you. When had he gotten so tall?

“Be safe, I’ll see you at home.”

He smiled down at you, “Yep, see you then,” he waved to the Nelson and Murdock crew, “It was nice to meet you all. Sorry I have to ditch. Bye!” And then he was out of the door.

You sighed and patted the copier, “It should be working now, order the new cable.” You said pointedly. Foggy waved it off saying they didn’t need a new cable while you were around. Karen just smiled and made a note of it on a sticky and slapped it on the computer.

“Do you want to go out for lunch Matt?” you asked, hoping to fall back into your regular “Nelson and Murdock” routine. Every time you stopped by the office the two of you would go out to lunch.

Matt on the other hand was having a hard time meeting your eyes. "I can't today, we've got a lot to work on here." His voice seemed tight as he gave you a reply.

"I could pick up some takeout for you guys if you want." You offered

Foggy looked grateful, and was about to let you know when Matt cut in, "no, don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry, (y/n) I'm really busy today. Maybe it would be better if you leave." He didn't sound very sorry. Mostly he sounded cold. Foggy and Karen had a hard time masking their surprise at the way he was talking to you. Your mind started moving a mile a minute, trying to figure out what you had done wrong. Maybe it was just the workload that was stressing him out.

"Oh, ok." You stood awkwardly in the office for a moment before gathering up your things. Part of you wanted to scream, to fight. If this were any other situation you would, but this time you cared too much about him to call him out in front of his friends. You decided as you gave a wave and a brief exchange of goodbyes that you would call Matt later. You could try to figure out a time to meet and talk what ever was going on out. But for now, you needed to punch something.

You pulled out your phone and sent a text to Jamie

*Wait up for me, I'm going to do some training too.*

 

__

You slammed your fist into the face of a HYDRA agent with a yell full of frustration. He stumbled back, falling to the ground. Like his body, his fake exterior fell away to reveal the metal form of the Life Model Decoy. It crashed to the ground, leaving the only sound in the room the screech of metal on metal and your heavy breathing. You almost wished it were a real person. Though the LMDs looked extremely life like when programed, the way they felt was still being perfected. For now you would have to do without the feel of cartilage braking under your fist or the fleshy feel beneath your foot when you delivered a kick.

You wiped your sweaty forehead with the back of your hand and surveyed the four LMDs that lay at your feet. Above you a gaggle of teenagers stood on the observation deck, looking though a glass window down at you. While taking a brake from their own training they had found themselves watching you.

“Petra is pretty good,” Sam said with an impressed nod down to you.

“She’s being sloppy,” Ava noted, “She was taking hits that she should have blocked, and wasting energy.”

James watched as you grabbed a white towel and vigorously whipped the sweat off your face. He knew your attitude had completely changed since leaving the law office. You had barely spoken on the train and when the two of you reached the Tricarrier you went straight into a training room. That was hours ago. Though your body was tired, James could still see a tenseness that was only there when you were upset.

Finally, he nodded in agreement with Ava, “She’s distracted, angry about something.”

“Well, remind me not to make your sister mad.”

Below your phone vibrated on the table. You cast away the sweaty towel and reached for your cell. On it was a text that read, _“Meet me,”_ and a location. Though to your phone it was an unknown number you had long ago memorized it. It was the Black Mask’s.

____________________________

“Will?” Your voice echoed in the empty warehouse. Other than the sound of the waves lapping against the pier the building was eerily quiet. Though your better judgment cried against it, you entered the building. You tried to let your eyes adjust, but there was no adjusting to the darkness that was only dispersed by the streetlight streaming into the warehouse’s few high windows. It may not been the shadiest building you have ever been in, but it was pretty high on the list.

You whispered his name again, your confusion apparent in your voice, “Where are you?” A sound of dirt grinding between a boot and the concrete came from directly behind you. You turned to find a wooden baton rocketing towards your face. Instinct and muscle memory took over as you lifted up your forearm to block. The wood slammed into your arm, it’s force shooting jarring pain up and down your forearm.

Finally you were able to get a clear view of your attacker, ready to confirm your suspicion of it being Ward or some other Hydra goon. Instead you were met with a familiar masked face. “What?” you barely had time to ask before the man in the mask rounded on you.

He kicked you, landing a blow on your side. Before he could bring his foot back to a standing position you grabbed it tight with both of your hands. You took a step forward while using his leg to pull him towards you. You released the hold on his legs with one of your hands and swung up with your elbow. The blow hit true as it slammed into his face. It didn’t seem to faze him as he brought his batons up and held them tight against your throat.

“You lied to me,” he hissed in your ear, “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out you’re a terrorist?”

It was hard for you to speak, but that didn’t seem to stop you from being sarcastic, “I’m a hacker, we’re labeled terrorists all the time. You’re going to have to be a little more specific.” You sidestepped and threw all your and his weight forward, hoping to flip him on his back. Instead he did a front flip and landed on his feet. This did give you some time to draw your pistol and train your aim on him. He came up close, using his batons to knock the gun out of your grip and land a jump kick to your ribs.

You fell to the concrete, feeling the fabric of your sleeve tare as you slid on the ground. You reached for your weapon that was quickly skidding out of your reach, only to be pinned by the weight of the man. You thrashed underneath him until he pinned your hands on either side of your head.

The heavy rise and fall of your chest under him and your rapid heartbeat were clues to your fear. A flash of guilt and uncertainty went though his mind. You now had a bruised rib from one of his kicks, and were bleeding from multiple scrapes from the hard concrete. His resolve wavered as he remembered the nights you worked together. Those nights that he worked hard so you would never have to look like that. You always had a conviction in your voice and a steadiness in your heart each time you spoke.

His jaw clenched in anger, if you were some type of spy you could have faked that conviction and steadiness. It didn’t matter how he felt about you, you were dangerous and what ever your plans were for him he knew they couldn’t be good. “S.H.I.E.L.D.” He growled. This really didn’t have the effect he was expecting. Instead of becoming more panicked your breath became more even.

“I can explain—” You started, your voice calm, but you were interrupted before you could get any further.

“You are everything you said Ward is. You played me!” As he shouted at you the grip on your writs tightened. You tried to ignore the pain shooting up your arm.

“If you would just—”

“And what does that make James and his friend Pete? Terrorists in training?” He spat.

Your fear ran though your veins like ice at the mention of Peter’s name. You couldn’t stop the panic that burst in your chest. How much did this man know, and how far would he go to hurt you, and more importantly, hurt those you cared about. Your voice shook as you quietly asked, “How do you know about Peter.”

He was silent, taken aback at the sudden change in your body language.

“How do you know about Peter!” you shouted, thrashing in his grip. Your voice was stronger and forceful, but still the man said nothing.

You thought hard for a moment, trying to find the words that would show him how far you would go to protect your family. “Let me tell you something.” You started, willing your voice not to shake, trying to make it as strong as you could.

“Grant Ward is a despicable human being. He is every thing I have told you and more, but that’s not why I hate him. That’s not why I am trying so hard to find him. I hate him because he stuffed two of my friends, his friends, in a box and left them at the bottom of the ocean to die. He beat my brother bloody while I all I could do was helplessly watch. I know he would hurt the people I care about again unless I find him and stop him. I will do anything to make sure he can’t touch them again”

You took a couple deep breaths, making sure your voice was forceful and even, “If you touch Jamie, or Pete, or anyone else I care about I will not stop until I find you and end you. And believe me I will. The only think that has stopped me for getting Ward is his skills as a spy and the resources of HYDRA. You. Have. Neither.” You spat out the last words, each staccato note emphasizing how serious you were.

He seamed to give you an appraising look. Of course this is what you assumed since it was hard to read his expression through the mask. “You’re not in any position to make threats.” He said, his voice more mater-a-fact than menacing.

“What I said still stands.”

“You’re also not doing a very good job of convincing me you’re not a terrorist.”

You took a deep breath, “HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD pretty deep. But after it’s collapsed those who still were loyal in it’s ideals came together and founded a new SHIELD. It might not have the same resources the old SHIELD had, but it’s better. That’s who I work for.”

From what Matt could tell you were telling the truth. Both your heartbeat and breathing were steady. “So, you’re loyal to this new SHIELD?” shield

“I’m an agent aren’t I?” You said.

The beat of your heart sped up. Matt knew that you had left something out, that you weren’t telling the truth. In frustration Matt took his hand off your wrist and slammed it down close to your head and yelled, “Don’t lie to me!”

You flinched as his fist came uncomfortably close to your face and took a breath to calm yourself. “I’m loyal to my brother,” you decided to say, “and I’m loyal to those who keep their promises to me. SHIELD has kept its end of the bargain, so I’ll keep mine.”

The two of you were silent, taking in each other’s words while trying to figure out what move to make next.

“It seams like you’re going to have to trust that I’m not a psycho HYDRA agent just like I had to trust that you didn’t blow up half of Hell’s Kitchen.”

He looked at you for a moment and nodded, “I guess I will.” He got off of you and held out a hand to help you up. You ignored it and struggled to your feet, wincing at the pain in your side. You limped over to your pistol and holstered it behind your back. Once again he reached out to help you, but you waved it away.

“I’m sorry (y/n), I had to know.” He tried to justify to you.

“I’ve just had a real shitty day, ok. I just need space right now. I’ll let you know if I find anything.” You spat, and walked away from him.

He watched as you walked away, guilt twisting in his gut. Not only had he as the black mask pushed you away, but also as Matt. He worried that relationship was irredeemable.


	14. Kisses and Bulet Cases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jamie is a perfect human being, you try to work out what's going on between you and Matt, and you may or maynot rob a bank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh this has been a long time in the making. Thank you all so much for the support you've shown me and for still being here to read this mess I call a story. I've pretty much ran out of everything I had written up in advance/I keep adding chapters that I have to type up from scratch. Soo . . . the nonexistent update schedule will probably be close to once a month, but I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON THIS PROJECT!!
> 
> As always I live for comments and kudos. You are all so beautiful, I love you!! (also there is a bonus chapter coming very soon <3)

The cool breeze blew your hair into your face as you sat down on the fire escape. Your eyes were closed and your head rested on the wall behind you. You held your phone so tightly it hurt. Weather you were trying to find the courage to call him, or the courage not to you couldn’t decide.

There was a shuffle from behind you. The metal creaked as someone, most likely Jamie since he was the only one other than yourself at home, sat beside you. A warm blanket was thrown over you, covering your face and body.

You let out a muffled laugh, “Thanks Jamie.” After pulling the blanket off your face you glanced at your brother. He was giving you a soft but concerned smile and held out a mug full of coca. You let go of your grip on the phone and let it fall into your lap and carefully reached for the mug with both hands. The warmth of the ceramic felt good to your cold and sore hands. You breathed in the steam and smiled. Jamie quietly sipped his own coca, his half of the blanket comfortably wrapped around his legs.

 You knew he wanted to talk to you. You saw how he looked at you when you limped into your home and straight into the shower. His worry was evident in his eyes, but he knew you well enough to know not to push you. Maybe poke you here and there, but never push you.

“I’m in a tight spot Jamie.” You confessed.

“I know.” You looked at him in surprise. How could he know what was happening, you had tried to be so careful. “I mean, I could tell.” He amended. You let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked you carefully. You didn’t say anything, just stared down at the mug of half empty coca. Yes, you did want to talk about it. The one person you thought you could talk about your problems with was the man who had bruised your side. “Do you want to talk about anything?”

You sighed before speaking, “I think Matt is mad at me, but I don’t know why.”

Jamie took a sip of his own coca before saying, “Okay . . .” as if he expected you to continue.

“Like, everything was ok, and then all of a sudden he just got really cold and distant.” Once you started venting, you found it hard to stop, “He didn’t even want to go to lunch like he usually does. Like, I just wish I could know what I did wrong!”

“Have you talked to him?” He asked, he took your silent staring into you cup as a no. “Well, in my many years of experience,” Jamie started and you let out a giggle. “I feel like you should probably talk to him and work it out.”

“Probably,” you admitted. As if on cue your phone started vibrating in your lap. You set down your cocoa and reached for your phone. You scowled, looking at Matt’s name on the caller ID. Jamie looked at you pointedly.

You set the phone down, "Tomorrow, I can't do it right now."

Jamie just shrugged, "Fair enough."

The two of you sat comfortably for a while on the fire escape, just watching the traffic go by under you and the moon cross the sky above. Eventually Jamie took your empty mug and helped you to your feet. For how emotionally and physically draining your day had been you found yourself in a brighter deposition. Your time with Jamie had been good and you were thankful for his quiet strength.

____  
  
The next morning you sat cross legged on your couch, your computer in your lap and coffee on the table in front of you. Once more the files from the bank were up on the screen. You hoped that the brake you have had from the files would help you look at the information with fresh eyes. After hours of searching one entry caught your eye. _Erc Lab._ Your heart stopped for a moment, searching the files for any more information on what "Erc Lab" could stand for. You were sure you already knew. Finally you found an invoice giving you more details. “Erc Lab” stood for Elvric Medical and Pharmaceutical Labs.

Elvric Labs. The name itself was enough to make your blood boil. In previous years the name was associated with happy memories. Like a younger you, dressed up in one of your parent's lab coats, the name boldly embroidered on the chest. You remembered sitting on the cold steel counters of your parent's lab where they researched for Elvric Labs. You would swing your legs back and forth quietly observing your parents or working on your homework. Elvric Labs was a family gathering place, just like the kitchen table, or the living room.

But much darker memories also accompanied the lighter ones. The anger in your parents voices as they confronted Dr. Elvric about the "research" he was doing on their son. The sound of the two gunshots that had killed your parents. You could almost feel the heat of the flames that he had set to the lab when you crawled out of your hiding spot and held your parents one last time. You swore to them that Elvric would never touch your brother again.

An uncontrollable rage bubbled inside your gut as you leapt from your seat. "Son of a bitch!" you screamed, picking up the coffee cup and hurling it at the wall. The ceramic shattered against the drywall and hot liquid sprayed against the wall. You stared at the mess and ran a hand through your hair.

"Shit, I liked that mug." you mumbled, and grabbed a damp rag to clean your mess. As you picked up the ceramic and wiped up the coffee you couldn't help but to glance over at the computer screen.

Elvric Labs. The name seemed to mock you every time you glanced at it. As if it telling you that no matter how long or far you ran, your past was going to catch up with you.

The pieces of mug finally found their new home in the garbage and the splatter of coffee on the wall was cleaned when your phone buzzed with an incoming call. You couldn't help but wonder what new horrible thing this call was going to bring into your life. Grant Ward, HYDRA, Elvric Labs, relationship issues, you already had it all. You finally reached the vibrating phone on the counter to see Matt's name on the screen.

You couldn't help but grown. Jamie was right, you did need to talk to him, but right now you lacked the courage and the emotional stability you needed to have this conversation with him.

It wasn't long until you heard a knock at the door. You closed the lid to your laptop and walked over to the door. Behind the peephole you found a nervous looking Matt. He ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his tie.

You were so not prepared for this conversation. And how did he find out where you lived? On that note, how did he even get here? But here he was, and he had thought talking to you was important enough that he showed up on your doorstep.

With a sigh you opened the door, "Hey Matt."

"Hey, I tried to call and let you know I was coming."

"Yeah . . ." Awkward silence hung in the air as the two of you tried to figure out what to say next, "why don't you come in?"

You guided Matt to the couch and got the two you a glass of water. You took a seat next to Matt. Not as close as you usually would, but also not at the far end of the couch.

Matt sat with the cool water cup in his hand, trying to piece together what had happened in your apartment before he had entered. He could hear the hum of your computer the lid shut but still on. There was a strong smell of coffee in the air and a damp spot on the carpet. The crash he heard on his way through the complex must have been you throwing your cup of coffee. Even as he approached the door he could hear your elevated heartbeat. You were upset about something, but whether it was about him or something else he couldn't tell.

He took a deep breath, finally building the courage to talk to you about what was really upsetting him, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"What did I do wrong?" You asked at the same time Matt was speaking.

"No! You didn't do anything wrong." He said, gently taking your hand, "I shouldn't have acted the way I did." You were quite for a spell, silently relived that it wasn't something you did wrong  
  
Someone-" Matt began, searching his mind for the right words. He sighed and started again, "I thought someone I really trusted had lied to me. It put me in a pretty sour mood. I should have never treated you that way."

You laughed humorlessly, "I can understand that." You looked up at him and gave his hand a sight squeeze, "Just make sure you give me a heads up next time."

Matt pulled you closer, wrapping his arm around you and letting you rest your head on his chest. A breath of relief went through him and he kissed the top of your head. "There won’t be a next time. I never want to treat you like that again."

You looked up to him and smiled, "Deal." He gave you a chaste peck in the lips and smiled back. Though it had only been a day, you were glad to find yourself in Matt's reassuring arms. The warmth of his embrace chased away your cold thoughts. You would find a way to deal with Elvric and HYDRA, but right now you were safe.

Matt couldn't understand how just sitting there with you could bring him so much happiness. Yet there was a constant nagging in his mind. He wanted to trust you but there was the ever-present worry that you could turn on him. All Matthew Murdock wanted to do was hold and love you, the man in the mask had to worry about what the SHIELD Agent's motives were.

Even though Matt wanted to stay there with you, he knew that he was going to need to leave. Mrs. Cardenas case was finally getting some traction and Foggy was going to need his help. Matt gave you another soft kiss on your lips and put his forehead to yours. "I have to go soon."

You wrapped both your arms around his middle and snuggled up to him, "No you don't." You felt him let out a sigh, his hand making small comforting circles on your back.

"How did you even find out where I live?" You asked, hoping conversation might distract him enough to stay longer.

"I called Tony and told him what had happened. At first I was pretty sure he was going to fly over with his suit and punch me, but with a little convincing Tony gave me your address. I had a hard time finding the right apartment, but there was this sweet lady down the hall that showed me the way." There was only one "sweet old lady" who lived on the floor that knew your apartment. Sandra Casey was an eighty-six year-old busy body that had descended upon you the minute you had moved it. She had had three husbands "One for the money and two for the show, if you know what I mean." She would say with a wink. You had no clue what she meant. She had divorced the first two husbands, was the widow of her third, and was always in the look out for a fourth. She had made it her mission to try to set you up with any decent looking man in a 30-mile radius, including the gay couple on the third floor.

You rolled your eyes, "Let me guess. Very flirty and way to concerned with my love life?" Matt chuckled and you took that as a yes, "That would be Ms. Casey. You should have seen her when she met Tony. Very handsy."

"I can tell, I'm pretty sure she pinched my butt." You laughed with him. Finally you relinquished your grip and he stood up. You held your bottom lip between your teeth and watched his ass as he stood. It was no fair that Ms. Casey had touched your boyfriend's butt before you did, but you decided to remedy that. As you got up you gave Matt a pat on his ass. You leaned into him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Matt chuckled, "And what was that for?"

"I couldn't have Ms. Casey get farther with my boyfriend than I have." He laughed and kissed you on the lips again. You reached your arms around his shoulders, pulling yourself closer to him. He put his hands on your waist and pulled your body flush to him. With a playful tug you caught his bottom lip between yours.

Matt rested his forehead against yours as you both stopped to catch your breath, "I should go."

"I know." You replied, "Have a good day. Good luck at work." You waked him out of the door where the two of you said your goodbyes and shared one more kiss. You watched him go sad that he was leaving but relieved that you had been able to reconcile.

  
You looked back at your closed computer and down at your watch, knowing that if you were late to your physical therapy appointment again then Doc Connors would probably throttle you. There would be time to figure out about Elvric later.

___________________________ 

You held your phone in your hand, your finger hovering over the one contact saved only as a number. You had exhausted your digital resources and couldn't find any more information connecting HYDRA to the bank or Elvric Labs. Maybe it was time to ask for some help. You thought back to your bruised rib. It was hard to forget with each breath giving you a painful reminder. Maybe it wasn't time to ask for help, but to demand information. You hit the call button and waited for him to answer.

"Yes?" His gruff voice answered. You had to choke down the fear that surfaced, a lingering ghost from the night before.

"What do you know about Elvric labs?"

He said your name, his voice sounding surprised that you called. "It's some type of big medical company."

"Yeah, I just found out that the bank had been transferring money to it. Elvric is crooked. Kidnapping, Illegal experimentation, bribery, the whole nine." You explained, "but the electronic paper trail has just stopped. I can't find anymore information."

"I've found some evidence that points to the bank being a front for Hydra so they could move large sums if money without attracting suspicion. If Elvric Labs had information that HYDRA would want it would make since for them to use the bank to pay them off." You were silent for a minute. Elvric labs certainly had information that HYDRA would want. In all likelihood Elvric had the most research on enhanced individuals in the world, including the process that was used on your brother to activate his already mutated cells.

Finally you asked, "How long have you been sitting on this information?"

"A while." he admitted, "I didn't want you going off and doing something brash while your arm was recovering."

"Wow," you started, letting attitude drip from your words, "thank you for trying so hard to make sure I didn't get hurt only for you to beat the shit out of me yourself."

“Listen here mask guy," you said, deciding that the name Will was too good for him, "I never wanted your help. If memory serves, I specifically told you I didn't need your help. So if you're going to help, then help. If you're not then stay out of my way." You ended the call, almost wishing for the definitive "clap" that came when you flipped a flip phone shut. Instead you just tossed your phone on the couch and rubbed your eyes. With the end of the electronic paper trail, maybe it was time to find some physical files, which would mean braking back into the bank. And thus time the man in the mask wouldn't be joining you.

____________________________

You felt surprisingly confident as you made your way to the bank in Hells Kitchen. Whether it was from the sold plan you had devised or the amount of Stark and SHIELD tech you had you couldn’t be certain. The vaults were where the real security was. Luckily you didn't want anything to do with the vaults. Instead there was a suspicious amount of empty space behind the main office.

The building's security was tight, but you were able to take it down long enough to scale to the old brick building's second story ledge. Carefully you inched to the window. With a screwdriver you removed the glass pane from the window. You silently slid it into the office and followed it through the window and into the room. This wasn't the office you needed but it was close to the main office and the calking on the glass windowpane was one of the more decayed.

From there you crept down the hall, checking your watch. Twenty more minutes before the system would come back on and alert the authorities that there had been a break in. After finally reaching the main office you tried the door only for it to be locked. You quietly swore under breath and reached into your bag for your lock picking kit. With a bit of work the door opened and you found yourself in the office. You had been in this room a couple times while you were employed at the bank. Behind the huge cherry desk was a display with books and knickknacks. The empty space on the bank blueprints was directly behind the wall. You furiously searched the wall for some type of switch or lever. In your search you knocked over a bronze octopus. You stepped back as the sound of hydrologics hissed from behind the wall panel.  
  
The shelves moved to the side to reveal an alcove full of drawers and shelves. You let out a quiet whistle, partly impressed by the amount of information HYDRA had hidden in the small space and partly because you knew looking for the Elvric files was going to be a chore. You looked back down at your watch. Fifteen more minuets before the system came back on. That only gave you, at the most, a window of ten minuets to search. You started at it, your gloved hands opening a drawer of a filing cabinet and flipping through the papers in there. You shut it and went to the next.

Part of you felt guilty. How much of this information could be used to help SHIELD in its battle against HYDRA? How many lived could be saved? You made a decision, once you found the Elvric files you would grab anything else you could get your hands on. You shut another drawer and went to the shelf, throwing papers and books behind you. Your time was quickly running out and you were not going to leave empty handed. Another drawer was searched and again you found nothing. You shut it in frustration and opened another.

As you flipped through the files you noticed a familiar logo on the front of one. You pulled it out, finding the name "Elvric Laboratories" printed under the logo. Your breath hitched as you opened it. A picture and typed notes were in the file. A young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes peered up at you from the photo. You slapped it shut and shoved it under your arm, finding more files with Elvric's logo behind it. You flipped through the papers, finding a tab with your last name on it. You opened it to find your brother's face staring at you. He was much younger but still had his trademark freckles and dark curls. When you remembered him at that age he was always smiling but in this picture he looked sallow. You didn't have time to read the file; you just shoved it under your arm with a handful of other files with the Elvric logo.  
  
The sound of a siren screamed out. You looked down at your watch in confusion. The security system wasn’t supposed to be reactivated for another five minuets. Swearing quietly, you silently crept out of the office into the hall towards the room with the open window. An angry voice calling out your name stopped you in your tracks; you turned and looked down the hall to see Lehrer standing in the light cast from an open door. 

"I thought you skipped town." You said, slowing reaching behind your back for your holstered SHIELD issued ICER.

"Yeah, well HYDRA made a very convincing argument for me to stay. They are a bit more intimidating than your boyfriend."

You frowned but didn't say anything. You gripped your pistol just to hear steps directly behind you. As you turned towards the noise you drew your pistol. The man now standing directly in front of you easily knocked the weapon out of your hand. He elbowed your gut, making you bend over. He delivered another blow to back.

You clung to the files as tight as you could and used your other hand to grab the knife in your boot. You came up, arching the blade at the HYDRA agent. He screamed as it dug deep into his cheek. You landed a hard kick into his chest that sent him reeling back. You traded the knife for the pistol on the ground and shot him, knocking him out.

You turned to deal with Lehrer when the sound of another shot echoed through the hall. Lehrer stood with his pistol trained on you. Slowly the realization that you had been shot dawned on you, the shock making you numb to anything. Your pistol dropped from your hand and you looked down at your chest to see a hole in your tactical vest. The dark fabric hid the color of the red liquid that was staining it, but you gingerly touched it with your hand for it to come away red. The shock wore off and the pain set in. You crashed against the wall, biting your lip so you wouldn't scream from the pain. You were still clutching the files in your arms as you slid down the wall and onto the floor. Lehrer, apparently satisfied with his work, left. You tried so hard to not loose consciousness, your free hand putting as much pressure on the wound as your weak body could muster.

Matt could hear your shuddering breaths as he navigated through the hall, avoiding the guards that lay on the floor. The masked man gently put his hand on your shoulder as his voice laced with worry repeated your name. His fingers tenderly brushed the hair out of your eyes and put his hand to your cold face. "Hold on. Just hold on."

He pulled out a burner phone and pressed a button. The words he spoke were so far away. Everything seemed fuzzy and out of focus. _Focus_. You reminded yourself, the voice of Agent May bursting into your memory, as if she was saying it to you right at that moment, _Focus or you'll die_.

"Melinda?" You asked the shadowy figure that kneeled in front of you.

"No, it's me, (y/n). It's Matt. I'm going to get you out of here." He touched your face again and gently moved it to behind your neck. Another arm snaked under your knees. He lifted you up, holding you tightly to him. His soft breath whispered into your ears, but what they said you couldn't make out. You could hear the fear and love in his tone.

You weren't sure how but you found yourself lying on hard concrete, the amount of time that had passed was impossible for you to measure. Two people hovered over you, the severeness of the situation made clear in their rushed words and movements. You were so cold. Everything hurt. At least you thought it did till you felt burning. You screamed as the excruciating pain from the burning registered.

"Shh, It's alright. You're going to be all right." A gentle voice cooed, familiar hands stroking your hair and forehead.

 

You stood in a white room. Metal tables reflected the florescent lights. The room was unnaturally bright. Each object on the tables, the beakers, the papers, the tools, all seemed to radiate light. There were people speaking, an argument between three different voices. You turned towards the sound and found your parents, looking just the same as you remembered them. They were shouting at a man in front of them. He had dark greasy hair and cruelness that radiated.

"What is this?" Your father shouted in anger, a manila file folder leaving his hand and landing on the table beside him with a deafening boom. Silence rang out between the three. You remembered this. You remembered this room, this moment in time. You glanced to your side and found yourself. A younger you crouched underneath a sink. Every time you had thought about this you couldn’t remember why you had hid. It certainly didn't make since for a twenty-one year old woman to hide from the shouting voices, but you knew that one decision had probably saved your life.

When the folder landed on the table on your parents' lab it opened. Neatly typed notes and a papercliped photo spilled out. In the picture was a boy with dark curly hair and a face full of freckles. It was strange to see your brother's usually smiling face looking so hollow.

"Doctors, the research I'm doing can save lives! This is the next step in the evolution of the human race! The subject's abilities are incredible." Dr. Elvric tried to explain.

"The subject!" Your mother screamed in anger, "His name is Jamie. He is my son! You are torturing children."

"These experiments are illegal and inhumane. We're taking this to the authorities." Your father said, reaching for the folder. Elvric's hand slammed down on top of the papers.

His face looked eerily calm, matched with his tone when he said, "no, you wont." As you watched his movements were as if the scene was playing in slow motion. His hand reached into his lab coat and brought out a sleek black pistol. Your father was shot first, the ring of the gunshot singing out as he fell. You looked at your mother's face distorted in horror as she watched her husband fall until she too fell to the ground.

You screamed, reaching out for your parents. You went to take a step but found yourself rooted to the ground. Elvric turned to you, a wicked grin spreading on his cruel face. Then there was fire. A vortex of flame engulfing you and obscuring the scene in front of you.

Then you were falling.

You landed in a hard chair. You looked around your surroundings, finding yourself on the defendant’s side of the courtroom. Next to you sat the man in the black mask who was attentively reading a paper in his hands with covered eyes.

You turned to him, confusion written on your face, "What's going on here?"

His face was, as ever, unreadable, "your trial, remember? I'm your lawyer."

You were about to ask him what you were charged with when the judge boomed, "does the prosecution have any witnesses?"

On the other side of the room Matt stood, "the prosecution would like to call (y/f/n) to the stand." A gasp if surprise went threw the room as the man in the mask gently helped you up.

You were now on the witness stand with no recollection of how you got there. Matt paced in front of you, glancing at you accusingly at regular intervals.

"Is it true that you are a SHIELD agent?" He snapped.

"Yes."

"And is it true that SHIELD was a puppet for the terrorists organization known as HYDRA?"

"Well, yes but-" You tried to explain, but was interrupted before you could finish.

"Need we need more proof? She is obviously guilty." Shouts of guilty rang throughout the room, but you were fixed on Matt's face that stared at you in hate and anger. You tried to explain yourself, but the shouts of the room drowned you out. The building morphed and folded in on itself.

And then there was nothing but black. A calm sense of nothingness over came you. No fear, no pain, just calm and the warm feeling of love. You weren't sure how long you spent in this place. Hours and seconds seemed to be the same. Time didn't exist. Your mother's voice tenderly said your name, "It's time to go. You have a lot left to do."

 

It felt as if your consciousness was slammed back into your body. You took a shuddering breath, pain shooting up your side. You felt both hot and cold at the same time. Hazily you recognized the feeling of a strong hand letting go of yours. 

"Hey. Hey, (y/n). Welcome back." A sweet woman's voice cooed. You blinked, finding yourself in a dark building.

"What happened?" You asked, your voice weak.

"You got shot." A familiar gruff voice replied.

You couldn’t help but groan, "I remember that."

He chuckled and then replied, "I found you at the bank and took you here. Claire is a nurse, she patched you up."  
  
“Thanks Claire." You said weakly, "How long was I out?"

"A few hours." The masked man admitted.

"Four hours." Claire corrected. You did a quick bit of math and your face went pale. It was probably past 3 a.m. Jamie was most likely in a panic.

"I have to get home." You said, sitting up way to fast. Claire put a gentle hand on your chest and laid you back down.

"We already sent James a text. You were working late and stayed over night with a friend. You let your breath get to a normal pace again and looked around you. You were in some type of abandoned building. The floor was hard concrete, but you had a jacket cradling your head. Your light tactical vest was unzipped and your shirt was ripped until the bullet wound was exposed. The area surrounding the wound was clean, but the rest of your chest and shirt was covered in sticky blood. Your own blood.

"Is there any chance I could get a shower?" you wondered, feeling grimy and exhausted.

"Claire, is it ok if we bring her to your place?" The masked man asked. Claire nodded affirmative and together they lifted you to your feet and started the walk back to Claire's.

As soon as the three of you reached the small apartment you collapsed on the couch. Claire went to get you some painkillers, but by the time she came back from the kitchen with a glass of water and a bottle of pills you had already fallen asleep. Matt sat next to you, his hand in yours, his thumb rubbing small circles over the back of your hand.

"How is she doing?" Claire asked, taking a seat in a nearby chair.

"Her temperature is getting close to normal. Her breaths are shallower than usual, but it’s probably because of the bruised ribs."

Claire ran a hand through her tangled hair, "she's a fighter, that's for sure. I thought we had lost her for a minute, but she came back."

Matt nodded in reply, taking his other hand and sweeping the hair out of your face. Claire silently observed from her spot in the chair. He was so gentle with you. She thought back to when she met up with Matt in the abandoned building. Your head was cradled in his lap with his hands putting pressure on your wound. He had looked up to her in desperation, even the mask on his face couldn't hide the fact he was terrified of losing you.

"Does she know?" She asked.

"She knows Matt Murdock, and she knows the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but she doesn't know they are the same person." Matt explained. 

"What about the other thing?" She asked, not sounding accusatory but genuinely interested in the answer.

"What other thing?" He asked, his brow knit in confusion.

"That you love her." Claire said quietly. Matt was silent, not knowing what to say. Did he love you? It wasn't something he had let himself think about. First getting close to you was a way to get information. After things had ended with Claire he had wanted to wait to let someone else in. But then you came, someone who could understand the light and the dark in him, even if he didn't show it. When he found you dying he knew he couldn't let you go. That something in him would die with him. He would have done anything to make sure you were safe, because every time he thought of his future you were there. Wasn't that love?  
  
"No, she doesn't know."


	15. (Bonus Chapter) Help Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter Parker has a habit of messing with things he shouldn't, which leads to his new Iron Spider Suit being hacked by Doc. Ock. After an impressive bit of hacking, Tony Stark wants to hire you.
> 
> A prequel chapter set during your first birthday in New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday!!  
> Here is a little thing I've been working on, mostly while I'm on break at work. The OC that the reader is based off of has her birthday in November so to celebrate I thought I would post this. I hope you all enjoy it!!

_Happy birthday me._ You thought to yourself as you tugged your knit scarf against the cold wind. It was a gift from your brother; he was likely the only person to give you a gift for your birthday. He was likely the only person who knew the real date of your birthday.  
  
A metallic noise rumbled beneath your feet as you walked on top on the ship's deck. You hated walking on the unsteady surface, feeling as if you were going to fall off the side to your death. It was a long way to the ground from the flying Helicarrier.  
  
You opened the small metal door and walked in. The hum of mechanical noise buzzed in your ear. This part of the carrier didn't have any noise dampening and you could hear the machinery that you were sure was important for something. The exact science of how the Helicarrier worked was a mystery to you. You coded machines, not built them.  
  
You were thankful when you crossed the hall and entered the controlled environment of the main corridor. S.H.I.E.L.D agents bustled in the space, headed to complete their specific responsibility. In contrast, you seemed to loiter around quietly observing the busy agents as you slowly made your way to your destination.  
  
When Fury first had ordered you and your brother off of Coulson’s bus and to follow him you had been in a daze. He took you to New York City where you were introduced to New York's young team of heros.  
  
That is when Jamie's superhero persona, Rook, was born. Now he was training with the likes of Nova, Spider-Man, and White Tiger. Their teacher was mainly Fury himself with a revolving cast of superheroes as support.  
  
"Agent (y/l/n)?" You heard a voice ask. Agent, that was still a weird thing to get used to. Even when you had joined SHIELD Coulson and his team had just called you by your last name and you did the same. Things were more formal on Fury's ship, though you usually elected to ignore those formalities.  
  
You turned to the agent who spoke. "Yeah?" You asked looking at the lanky man. Definitely from communications. He lacked the build that specialists had or the uniform most of the scientists wore, and definitely not dirty enough to be from engineering.  
  
"You have a call." He informed you, "If you would follow me." You fell in step behind him, confused. You had never had a call. At least not on the carrier. The agent led you to a large screen mounted on the wall. It was completely black but you were instructed to wait and the agent left.  
  
"Happy Birthday!!"  
  
You jumped at the sound of noisemakers as the screen lit up and two faces looked down at you. Leo Fitz had a lopsided grin and a noisemaker in his hand. Jemma Simmons also was armed with a noisemaker and her head was adorned with a sequined party hat.  
  
The loneliness that had ebbed away at you for the past few months was gone. Though New York was a city full of people you had a hard time adjusting to the new environment. You had missed your home on the Bus, and the people who made it your home.  
  
You let out a real laugh, a rare occurrence, and spoke to the two, "Thanks guys! How did you know?"  
  
They smiled back, “You’re Shield file.” Jemma said as if it was obvious.

 

"I, uh, uh, I have a gift for you." Fitz said, making a motion with his hand. You turned in your seat to see whom he was waving to. A dark clad agent with a ridiculously brightly wrapped package came towards you and set the parcel in front of you.  
  
You were struck with surprise. After all the years of only receiving gifts from your brother, you appreciated this gesture of love and friendship more than you could describe with words.  
  
"Well, don't just stare at it, open it!" Jemma said, her excitement and impatience evident in her voice. You removed the box's ostentatious bow from it's top and set it aside slowly, making Jemma and Fitz wait. The excitement that a person gets when they open a gift began to bubble inside of you and soon the paper was flying off the cardboard. The first thing you saw was a throw pillow. The metallic script on it read "wibbly wobbly, timey wimey." You laughed as you picked it up and showed it to the pair.  
  
Jemma shrugged, laughing, "We were in a shop in London. I saw this and knew you needed it in your new living room. Remember when we turned marathoning Doctor Who into a drinking game?"  
  
You grimaced at the memory, then let your laughter join with theirs. "Where did that awful picture of us go?" You asked, remembering the drunken embarrassment that had ensued that night. That evening's ridiculousness had climaxed when you and Jemma shared a kiss, only for Skye to take a picture of the two of you.  
  
"Skye likes to threaten to use it as blackmail as often as she can."  
  
You set down the pillow looked down at the remaining item in the box. Sitting on a bed of tissue paper was a sleek black case. It reminded you of the cases that stored expensive or dangerous equipment on the Bus. You gingerly lifted the case out of the box and set it on the table in front of you. The case opened as you popped the latches with a snap.  
  
The foam lined case held eight half dollar shaped disks. Your eyes grew wide as you recognized the design. Hours had been spent with Leo in his lab and plans had been drawn up detailing a device that could be used to remotely hack a computer. The idea was that it would be placed on a computer and then emit a signal that could be picked up by another device yards, or even miles away. This signal would give access to the attached computer. But all of that was theoretical, or it was the last time the two of you had worked on it.

 

"Leo!" you said breathlessly, "is this what I think it is?" you reached into the case and held one of the disks up to the screen. Leo just nodded, a huge grin plastered on his face. "But how?"

 

"I uh, I was bored during my re-re-," He faltered, looking for the words.

 

"Recovery" Jemma offered quietly.

 

"Yeah, recovery. My head still works, things are just hard to put into words. I looked over our notes and rough drafts and put this together." You tried not to let your smile falter as he described his process and how the devices worked. He constantly stumbled over his words, often forgetting terms he would have normally be able to rattle off with no problem. You were as patient as your could while Jemma often offered the word he was looking for. Though he may have improved from when you and Jamie left the Bus you were starting to accept that the damage done to his brain from the oxygen loss may be irreversible. Just that thought tore your heart to pieces.

 

"How about you two? How's the Big Apple?" Jemma asked you.

 

You just shrugged, "So far so good. Jamie's doing well in school so far, they let him be a freshman. He's really happy to be playing soccer again."

 

"How about you?" Leo asked.

 

You sighed, "I'm just trying to stay busy, I guess. I mostly work with Jamie and his team here. They're pretty self sufficient so I don't do much other than making sure Spidey and Nova don't strangle each other."

 

"Well, we miss you two. It's just not the same not having you around." Jemma said.

 

"We miss everyone there too, let them know that I said 'hi'. Also, if you guys are ever in New York let me know!" You said, truly hoping that they would take you up on your offer.

"We will!" Jemma promised "Bye!" both Jemma and Leo said and waved.

 

"Bye!" you said, waving back. The screen went black and they were gone. "Bye" you sighed, already missing your friends. You looked back to their gifts and smiled, maybe this would be a good birthday after all.  
  
You packed most of your things away in a locker in one of the many locker rooms near the training area. You were left in a long-sleeved tee with your pants and boots. You sat down on one of the benches and took out one of the silver disks that Fitz had given you.

 

You had laughed when he first suggested the name of "Backdoor" for the device when it was still in its developmental phase, but now it hopefully would act as a backdoor into places that were practically impossible to get to.

 

Your thoughts were interrupted when you thought you heard your name called. "(Y/N)! Are you in here?" Around the corner came Ava, or White Tiger. "Oh thank goodness. Spidey and Nova are at it again, we could use some adult supervision." You couldn't help but sigh and shake your head. You slipped the disk into your bag and headed out of the room with Ava.  
  
When the two of you entered the large training room you found chaos. Spider Man, or Peter and Nova, aka Sam, were arguing with one another. The rest of the team were shouting at the two, telling them to stop, but to no avail.

 

You took a deep breath before shouting, "Hey! Knock it off!" Your commanding voice echoed off the metal walls and floor. The room grew quiet as the kids turned to see you standing imposingly with your arms crossed and best stern glare on, "What, exactly is going on her?"  
  
Peter and Sam started talking immediately, their voices combining in a messy garble of incomprehensible noise. "Alexander, Parker, stop."

 

"-But" Peter started to interject, you shot him a look that silenced him.

 

"Power Man," you said, turning to Luke, "give me the 411."

 

"Stark gave Web Head a new toy, Nova wanted to play with it," He shrugged, "you saw what happened."

 

"Also Agent (Y/L/N)," Ava added, "Masks are on, which means we go by our aliases." You groaned as you lifted up a hand and rubbed your temples. _Children_ you thought in exasperation. Parenting one child was hard enough, but you were lucky that taking care of Jamie was usually a breeze. Other than the fact your teenage brother had super powers and you had spent the last two or so years running from a deranged scientist who killed your parents and wanted to experiment on your brother. Yeah, parenting Jamie was a breeze.  
  
"Nova, quit trying to take Spiderman's things. What did Stark even give you?" You asked, turning to Peter.

 

"It's a new suit called the Iron Spider! I just got done doing some tweaking when everyone showed up." He said excitedly, "Let me show you!" Peter grabbed a red and gold backpack and threw it over his back. He activated the suit and gold and red plates of armor started covering his regular suit. The Iron Spider suit was sleek and shiny and fit Peter perfectly. He demonstrated the repulsors by clumsily flying around the room and blasting a dummy target.

 

"Nova, you can already fly and shoot lasers, why do you need a suit that does that?" Nova just pouted.

 

"You didn't mess with anything important, right?" You asked Peter.

 

"Of course not." Was his confident reply.

 

The group went back to their regular training routine while you shouted encouragement and correction from the sidelines. Suddenly with a blast Luke went flying into Danny.

 

"What the heck Spidey?" Luke asked as he got up and dusted himself off.

 

"Sorry! It wasn't me, it was the suit." Peter apologized.

 

A voice that was definitely not Peter's then came from the suit, "I now have control of the suit and Spider Man who is trapped inside of it." The voice gloated. You felt the heat as the suit shot another repulsor blast that you narrowly avoided.

 

"Doc. Ock took over the suit!" You could hear Peter say.

 

You picked yourself up of the metal floor and started shouting orders, "Keep the Iron Spider suit here and don't let him near any of the equipment! I'll try to get some backup."

 

Chaos erupted around you as the kids jumped into action. The Iron Spider suit picked up one of the training dummies and tossed it your direction you ran to get out of the way only for Danny to punch it in front of you. The shards of the broken dummy rained on you, showering you with metal and plastic.

 

You shook the debris from your hair and continued towards the panel that housed the coms for the ship. You finally reached the panel just as a mangled piece of metal crashed into the panel. You dodged it, falling to the ground just to have shrapnel fall around you. You swore as you looked at the broken panel and lost com unit.  
  
When you fell the contents of your bag spilled onto the floor. In the mess of tools and papers Leo's silver disk caught your eye. You picked it up and looked from it to the Iron Spider suit. If you could somehow place it on the main computer of the suit you could use your phone to hack the system and shut the suit off.

 

In your mind you tried to figure out how the suit was put together. You remembered how the suit had come from the pack, ruling out parts that were storage for the armor. _There_ you figured, _right between the shoulders_. The metal disk sat in your hand. It was a pretty good weight for throwing. You weren't Hawkeye but your aim was decent. You only had one Backdoor. You only had one chance.  
  
Gripping the disk tighter you took a run towards the fray.

 

"I need to get to the suit!" You shouted, " Clear a way."

 

The Iron Spider took aim at you with a repulsor blast. You fell to the floor, sliding under the stream of energy. You used the remaining momentum to roll to your feet, still running towards the suit. Luke and Ava distracted him, leaving his back open. You fingered the metal before letting out a breath and launching the disk at the Iron Spider's back. It stuck. Before you had a chance to celebrate the Iron Spider launched Luke in your direction. As he flew through the air you braced yourself as best as you could. Before he could smash into you a blue light came between you and kept him from landing on you. He grunted as he hit the barrier, and stood on his feet.

 

"Sorry Power Man," Jamie said, taking a place next to you, "Agent (L/N) is a little more fragile than you are." Luke nodded in reply and turned to face the Iron Spider once more. Jamie then turned to you, "If you have a plan now would be a great time to let me know."

 

The Iron Spider suit was powerful and dangerous out of the inexperienced hands of Peter. Doc. Ock seemed to pilot it remotely with ease. You turned back to your brother and nodded. You reached for your phone and found the signal the Backdoor was emitting. Finally you let yourself smirk, so far your plan was working.

 

"I'm trying to hack the suit remotely," You explained to Jamie, "Then once I'm in I'll shut the suit down, maybe even trace Doc. Ock back to his hideout."

 

"Well you better hurry!" Jamie shouted, pointing back to the suit. The Iron Spider had turned its attention to the outer wall of the room, trying to blast its way outside with its repulsors. You immediately went to work, typing on your phone as fast as you could. Though you had finally gained access to the Iron Spider's system, none of the commands you gave it had the desired effect.

 

Natural light flooded the room when the Iron Spider broke through and in a flash it was gone. You ran after it, only to stop at the gaping hole in the metal. Your hair whipped in the wind as you watched the suit fly off with Peter in it and the signal from the Backdoor go out of range. You knew what you had to do; the hard part was convincing yourself to do it. You turned back to face the other kids, who all looked worn out and worried about their friend. You could fix this. You could get him back; it was just going to have to take some courage.

 

You took a deep breath and then shouted at Nova over the sound of the wind, "I need you to fly me down there. I have to follow him so I can stop the suit."

 

"Meet us when you can." You directed to the others. Nova nodded and grabbed you around the middle. You felt the metal floor beneath your feet, then nothing. You swallowed down a scream as nothing but air was under you. _Focus_ you reminded yourself.  
  
Out of all the systems you get into you found yourself in communications. _Well, I always wanted to talk to tony Stark . ._. you thought to yourself and gave it a command to call Tony.

 

After a few seconds of waiting Tony's face came on the screen, "Spider Man! What's up?” His smile fell when he realized you weren't Spider Man.

 

"Ok Stark, a lot is going on and I don't really have time to explain. The Iron Spider suit was hacked into--" Your explanation was cut off by Tony's indignant, "Yeah, by you."

 

You growled in aggravation, "Shut up for like a minute ok! It was hacked by Doc Ock while Spider Man was in the suit. I have gained access remotely, but I have to stay in range. Right now Nova is carrying me as we follow the suit. I have control over the communications, but none of the commands I put it shut off the suit."

 

The three of you were considerably closer to the roofs of the city beneath you. When you reached so low in elevation you hadn't noticed. You had spent most of the time holding onto your phone for dear life and praying that Sam wouldn't drop you. Sticky webbing shot at you and Nova, aim trained on you phone. Nova barrel rolled its target out of the way, but you felt the webbing hit your back.

 

With a yank you were forced out of the relative safety of Nova's grasp. Your fall through the air was a short one and you tucked and rolled across the concrete roof that you landed on. The force of the landing made you lose hold of your phone and it skidded out of your reach.

 

"Hey kid, where are you? What happened?" You could hear Tony's voice coming from your phone a little ways away.  
  
Nova gave you cover as you scrambled after your phone.  
  
"Good to see you again kid." Tony said as you finally reached your phone.  
  
"My name's not kid. How do I shut it off." You asked, while running from cover.  
  
"Well, it's pretty complicated, I'm headed your way to help."  
  
Now you were frustrated. "Then walk me through it! I don't have all day!"  
  
As if to prove your point a blast rumbled past you. You shot Nova a glare. He was supposed to be drawing fire _away_ from you. He just shrugged helplessly. The Iron spider rounded on you and let off another blast at you. You ran out if the blast's path but he was shooting faster than you could run. A blue shield once again came to your aide as the rest of your team came up behind you.

 

"Draw fire away from me," you ordered, "and don't you dare touch my tech!"

 

"Rook, keep agent (l/n) safe. Everyone else distract the suit so she can do her thing." Nova instructed, taking Peter’s place as leader while he was otherwise occupied.  
  
"Ok kid, I'm on my way, but I'll get you as far as I can till I get there." You heard Tony over the phone, a small amount of interference coming through the speaker as he spoke inside of the ironman suit. He guided you through the Iron Spider suit's interface. Giving you complicated commands to enter and letting you know what options to choose.  
  
"Why did you have to make this so damn complicated." You huffed under your breath.  
  
"So that people like you couldn’t just come in and shut it off." He said smugly, giving you another command to type in.  
  
"Ok Stark, what next?" You asked. There was no reply. "Stark?" You said again, still there was no answer. You swore under your breath and looked to see if you still had access to the suits communications. You didn't.  
  
You knew that you were almost there. Just a couple more lines of code and the suit would shut off, but if you put in the wrong thing you could have to start the whole process over again. You took a big breath in preparation, and typed what you thought the last line would be.  
  
The tense seconds you waited brought your attention back to the kids' struggle. They all looked tired, but not beat. If anything they would hold until Iron man showed. And then, miraculously, the suit stopped. Slowly the armor retreated and began to take it's backpack like shape. As this began Tony in his Iron man suit landed on the roof and strutted toward Spider Man. When the Iron Spider suit was finally in it’s bag mode your Backdoor popped off. It flew through the air until Tony snatched it with an armored hand.  
  
"Wow kid, you actually did it." He said, sounding mildly impressed behind his suit’s mask. His mask popped up and you could finally see his face looking mildly entertained.

 

"My name is not 'kid'" you said, letting your annoyance show in your voice. Then you, who had never cared for formalities, who had never liked to be called agent, and who only used titles in a mocking tone, stood up as straight and imposing as you could and said, "my name is Agent (f/l/n). And what were you thinking?"

 

You went straight into a tirade that would have made your mother proud, "Giving out advanced tech without giving proper instruction? To a kid known to alter tech? You endangered my whole team! And not to mention the havoc that Ock would wreaked on New York with shiny new Stark tech." You left Tony wide eyed, mouth agape, and totally speechless. A difficult thing to achieve. You were quite the site. Shrapnel and debris covered you head to toe. Your hair was a wild mass, sticking out in all directions. Your uniform was scraped up from too many collisions with the floor.

 

"And you web-for-brains." You said, turning on Peter, "how many times have I told you not to mess with tech if you don't know how it works! The least you could have done was talked to Connors or I. We would have been more than willing to help."  
  
Satisfied that your point had been made you marched over to Nova and demanded to be taken back to the Tricarrier so you could get cleaned up.

____

  
You dragged your exhausted body down the complex's hall towards your apartment. Ms. Casey, your elderly busy body of a neighbor, was hanging some type of Thanksgiving wreath on her door. You tried to walk quickly by her, hoping not to be caught and subjected to another hour of visiting. You didn't make it.

 

"Oh! (Y/n)! I was just thinking of you." The woman said, strategically placing herself in your way. "I'm so glad you're going out and getting to know gentlemen. You’ve only been here a few months and someone already has a key to your apartment! He's very handsome too. I hope you two enjoy yourself." She said, finishing with a sly wink.

 

"What do you mean?" You asked, looking confused.

 

"Oh dear, you don't have to be coy with me. The gentleman waiting in your apartment right now. He's been there for about 20 minutes now."

 

Your face paled at the news. Very few people knew where you lived. You couldn't think of anyone who did outside of your team and Fury. Maybe Coulson, but not anyone Ms. Casey would peg as your boyfriend.

 

You reached behind your back for your holstered pistol, "Ms. Casey, please go back into your apartment." You said, as calmly as you could.

 

"But-" she tried to argue, "please just do it now." The desperation and panic in your voice pushed her to obey and she opened the door and went inside her home. You drew your pistol and stalked to your apartment door. You tried the knob and found it unlocked. Slowly and silently you pushed the door opened. There was a rustle in the kitchen just out of view of the entryway. You glanced around the corner to find the fridge door open  
  
You turned the corner and aimed your pistol where you thought the person in the fridge would be. The fridge door closed to reveal Tony Stark with two sodas in his hand and a sandwich.  
  
"Oh! Hi!" Tony said with a smile, your gun still trained on his chest.  
  
"What the fuck Stark! I almost shot you." You yelled, holstering your gun in it's usual spot behind your back.  
  
"But you didn't." he said with a shrug and made his way to your couch. He looked perfectly at home eating his sandwich sitting on your furniture. "Where's the booze? I can't find any?"  
  
"That's because there isn't any. I have to make sure my brother and his friends don't get to any at my place, so I just decided not to keep any here." you explained. Tony tossed you a can of soda, which you caught easily.

 

"Have a seat," he said with a stupid grin.  
  
You took a seat on one of your barstools and opened the soda can, "So, how exactly did you find out where I live?"  
  
"Your SHIELD file, duh." He explained, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. He raddled off your full name and some facts about you, "You have a couple underage drinking and trespassing charges that were expunged once you turned eighteen, graduated high school at sixteen, graduated college from Cal-Tech at twenty-one with a degree in software engineering. After your parents died in a lab fire you have been raising your younger brother on your own and joined SHIELD a little more than a year ago. You are a talented hacker, a terrible housekeeper, and are being extremely underutilized by SHIELD."  
  
You silently raised an eyebrow, "Your point is?"  
  
Tony set down his half eaten sandwich and soda. He leaned forward as if to emphasize his words, "Dump SHIELD and work for me."  
  
You choked on your drink. After sputtering for a few seconds you finally spit out, "what?"  
  
"Come work for me. You'd be my assistant of sorts, looking over my coding and someone I can bounce ideas off of. Housing in the tower would be covered for you and your brother, so we will be able to work on projects whenever we want to. Obviously a pay raise. What do you say?" He smiled, looking like he already knew your answer.  
  
You frowned, crossing your arms and thinking about his offer. It sounded great, but you knew you were needed at SHIELD and you needed SHIELD as well, "No."  
  
Tony looked surprised at your answer, but you continued to explain, "I like my job. And I like working with my team and I'm not going to leave them."  
  
Tony rubbed his eyes, "come on kid, I know you're bored. I found your website. You're looking for side jobs, how about a real job that might actually challenge you." Then he lifted up a pamphlet, “Also I found this. Thinking about going to MIT huh? You obviously don't plan on staying with SHIELD forever.”

 

He was right; you didn't plan on staying with SHIELD forever. You had always dreamed of going back to school and getting your Masters or PHD and now MIT was so close. You had gone to the campus just to check it out about a month ago. You went back to learn what it would take to get into grad school. Though leaving SHIELD may be a tentative plan for the future, right now SHIELD and, more importantly, Jamie needed you.  
  
You stood, signaling the end of the conversation, "I appreciate the offer Stark, but my answer still stands."

 

You were interrupted by a knock at the door. With a sigh and an eye roll you walked to the door. Ms. Casey stood outside of your apartment looking concerned. You opened the door and she looked at you with relief.

 

"Really, you had me worried. You got all serious and scary I thought something was wrong." She said, walking past you and into your living room, "Hello sir, I'm Ms. Sandra Casey" She said flirtily, holding out a brittle wrinkled hand for Tony to take.

 

"Ms. Casey please." You weren't sure what you were pleading for. Probably for her to leave your apartment, or not to talk to Tony, but most likely a mix of both.

 

"Tony Stark, a pleasure I'm sure.” Tony said, flashing her a charming smile. After the handshake was done Ms. Casey refused to let go of Tony's hand.  
  
"I'm glad to see my little neighbor getting to know people. I know I've always enjoyed having a gentleman in my life, if you know what I mean." she said with a sly wink, you tried to hide your mortified grown.  
  
"Though Miss (l/n) is a very attractive woman, that's not what the nature of our relationship is." Tony clarified.  
  
Sandra smiled wide, her empty hand traveling down to Tony's ass, giving it a firm squeeze, "Well, leaves more for me."  
  
"Oookkkaaayyy Ms. Casey, I'm glad you stopped by, but Mr. Stark is a very busy man." You said, grabbing Tony by the arm and pulling away from the woman.  
  
"Please, ladies, there's plenty of me to go around." Tony said laughing, acting as if it all was a joke. You shot him a look pleading him not to encourage her. Ms. Casey giggled as if she was a schoolgirl secretly enjoying watching you squirm. She didn't know you very well, but usually she saw a very cool and calculating girl. Her goal wasn't just to make you step out of your comfort zone, more like to blast you out of a cannon into the great unknown.  
  
"Well, I'm sure he will be back to visit soon enough. I have that effect on men." She laughed and headed out of your apartment to her own.  
  
Tony was soon to follow, "I really hope you reconsider my offer. If you do my card is on your fridge." and then he was gone.  
  
You sank into your couch, finally letting yourself rest.  
  
Today had to be the strangest birthday ever.

___  


Your arms were full of groceries when you walked down the hall to your apartment. The plastic bags cut uncomfortably into your skin as you struggled to your door. You were fishing for your keys when you heard your named called from across the hall, "Come look! Your friend Mr. Stark sent me flowers!" Ms. Casey said, one arm holding a massive bouquet and the other waving to you.  
  
You sighed, "I have to put my groceries away." You said, shaking a bag-laden arm to emphasize your point.  
  
She just waved it off, "It will be just real quick. I can't quite read the inscription, please come and read it to me"  
  
You carefully set the bags on the ground outside of your apartment door and made your way to Sandra. She excitedly handed you a small card. The bulk of it was taken up by Tony Stark's signature, but there was a small amount of scrawl just above it.  
  
You took a breath and started reading, "To Sandra, the most radiant woman in New York."  
  
_P.S. (y/n) come work for me._  
  
While Ms. Casey was fawning over the flowers and the note, you were stuck somewhere between fuming and confusion. Why couldn't the man take "no" for an answer?  
  
"Well, the next time you see Tony let him know I love the flowers." Sandra said gushing.  
  
"Yeah, will do Ms. Casey." you said, getting back to your groceries.  


_____

  
Tony Stark continued to harass you. Somehow he had gotten a hold of your phone number and had taken to calling you at the most inopportune times. Thee a.m.? Yep. On a date, definitely. Meeting with Fury? No time was safe.  
  
He had even gone so far to write you sky messages in his Iron Man suit. Jamie was the first to see one, hitting you to get your attention and directing you to the sky. It was hard to describe the feelings of frustration and amusement that mingled together as you saw your name in the sky.  
  
The man certainly was persistent.  
  
"One job." Tony said, after you mistakenly opened your apartment door without checking the peephole. He was dressed fairly plainly. No suit, no pretense. Just jeans, a Black Sabbath shirt, and the most humility you had seen him show. "I just want your help with this one project and then you can go back to your boring babysitting and security consultations. Please."  
  
"Fine, one job."  
  
Three weeks and three projects later you were awoken with Tony's loud, "Rise and shine!" You groaned, lifting your head up off the stack of papers sitting on Tony's worktable. Tony set down a mug, the intoxicating smell of coffee slowly making you more alert.  
  
You sat up on your stool in Tony's shop, your back aching from the uncomfortable position you had fallen asleep in. The cup was warm in your hands and you gingerly took a sip of the liquid. It was divine.  
  
You silently swore to yourself, knowing that Tony knew you way too well. In three weeks he already figured out how you took your coffee. And this was the second time you had fallen asleep at Tony's place while you were up late working in one of Stark's projects. Something was going to have to change.  
  
"How long was I out?" You asked, running a hand through tangled hair.  
  
He looked down at his watch and announced, "Three hours."  
  
"This has got to stop," you said, rubbing your sleepy eyes.  
  
"You're telling me, you keep drooling on my paperwork."  
  
"No, not that. I think it's time to make it official."  
  
"Oh my, I'm so flustered," Tony joked, "I didn't realize you were ready to take the next step in our relationship."  
  
You rolled your eyes, "if I'm going to keep working for you then I have some terms."  
  
"Ok," Tony coaxed  
  
"First off, I am NOT staying at the tower. I don't need you bursting into my room every time you want my help on something."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"Jamie will ALWAYS come first. I will be at every soccer game, every science fair, ever band concert, whatever. I am the only family he has and I owe it to him to be there for him. I am still going to work for SHIELD, I am still going to work with my team as long and as much as I need to."  
  
Tony looked like he was going to interrupt, but you stopped him with a finger, "and when I do feel like I'm ready to quit SHIELD and go back to school you are going to write the most kick ass recommendation letter ever seen. Do we have a deal?"  
  
Tony smirked, "I think we do. Welcome to Stark Industries Miss (last name)." He held out a hand and you took it, giving it a firm shake. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."  
  
Weather it was the beginning of the "beautiful friendship" Tony talked about or not, you felt like it was a beginning of something. The feeling of a new start was paired with something that you hadn't known for a long time. Hope.


End file.
